The Gleaner

Facebook founder recognizes importance of local media

le mercredi 07 février 2018
Modifié à 11 h 04 min le 07 février 2018
Par Michel Thibault

mthibault@gravitemedia.com

Michel Thibault - Gravité Média - Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg on January 29 announced that the news of local media would be prioritized in the chain of news of users of the global social network. "People consistently tell us they want to see more local news on Facebook. Local news helps us understand the issues that matter in our communities and affect our lives. Research suggests that reading local news is directly correlated with civic engagement. People who know what's happening around them are more likely to get involved and help make a difference," Zuckerberg clarified on his Facebook account. The news of local media will appear higher in the news chain of people who follow it and when they are shared,’ he specified. "We’re starting this first in the U.S, and our goal is to expand to more countries this year," Zuckerberg informed. The gesture is part of a group of measures to prioritize the news of great quality, reducing false news and misinformation, Facebook specifies in an article. More than delighted with decision [caption id="attachment_44017" align="alignnone" width="463"] Julie Voyer.[/caption] Julie Voyer, the head of Gravité Media which owns five local newspapers, including Saint-François/The Gleaner, is delighted by the sweeping change. "I am more than delighted to learn this news. It’s by actions such as these that together we will succeed in giving back to the local media the place they deserve,’’ she reacted. ‘’It’s reassuring that a key player such as the Facebook founder realizes the importance of local news and that he is taking the necessary measures to prioritize them in the news chain. His users will be more conscious about the stakes in their community and will thus be able to contribute to make a difference." Translated by Dan Rosenburg "As the owner of five weekly newspapers, this news is more than reassuring. So in the name of democracy, thank you." Julie Voyer, managing director of Gravité Média