Facebook News Kicks Off in Australia

After previously being launched in the United States and the United Kingdom, Facebook announced earlier this year that it would be bringing Facebook News to Australia, following the announcement of a three-year deal with News Corp in Australia, in which the social media company would pay for news content.

Facebook News adds a new option to the Facebook app for news, combining personalised content with top stories selected by a team of journalists. When boosting specific stories, it also considers characteristics such as accuracy and persity of viewpoints.

Facebook News not only gives people more access to high-quality news, but it also allows publishers to license their material on the platform.

While we've known for a while that Facebook News would eventually make its way to Australia, the internet giant has officially confirmed that the service will be offered to a limited number of customers.

Facebook Head of News Partnerships for Facebook Australia Andrew Hunter said: “We are also pleased to announce Facebook News will begin to roll out to a small number of Australians.”

“This phased launching will ensure the product works in a way that provides benefit to Australian audiences and publishers. We’re planning to expand Facebook News to more Australians through the coming months.”

The amount of money that will be paid to publishers as part of the Facebook News effort has not been revealed.

Facebook also announced that it has set aside $15 million to assist journalism in Australia over the next three years, in addition to confirming the debut of Facebook News in Australia.

Two new funds, the Newsroom Sustainability Fund and the Public Interest Journalism Fund, will provide financial support.

“The Newsroom Sustainability Fund will allocate AU$2.5 million per year over three years, in grants of up to AU$250,000 to fund regional newsrooms and digital-first publications. Funding will go towards innovation and revenue-generating projects, such as subscription paywalls and membership program development,” said Hunter.

“The Public Interest Journalism Fund will also allocate AU$2.5 million per year over three years, providing grants of up to AU$120,000, to small, regional publishers and independent journalists to fund news projects of public interest value and to encourage media persity. We are particularly focused on how the fund could provide support for underserved communities – such as Indigenous Australians, LGBTQI+ community, youth and women’s issues, rural affairs and local civic journalism.”