Facebook to Ditch News Tab in 2023

In 2016, Facebook created its news tab to give its users a centralized place to see news stories from multiple publishers. Users initially received this tab well, but their interest gradually waned over time. Because of this, in 2018, Facebook began deprioritizing news stories in the News Feed to focus on more personal content. This move was criticized by some news publishers, who argued that it was unfair to demote their content.

In 2021, Facebook announced it would give users more control over the types of content they see in the News Feed. This included the ability to hide the News tab altogether.

Facebook is taking the next step and removing the News tab altogether.

Story highlights:

• Facebook will remove the News tab from its app in 2023.
• The decision was made carefully and is in the users’ best interests.
• Users can still see news stories from their favorite sources but must go to the Pages or Groups they follow to find them.

Mark Zuckerberg wrote a blog post announcing that he and his team had carefully considered the matter and decided to remove the News tab. He said the tab was not resonating with users as much as the company had hoped and was taking up valuable space in the app.

“We’ve learned that people want to see more from their friends and family in News Feed, and less from publishers,” Zuckerberg wrote. “As a result, we’re making some changes to simplify the experience.”

What does this mean for news publishers?

Removing the News tab is a significant setback for publishers relying on Facebook to reach a large audience. However, there are still alternative ways for news publishers to connect with users on Facebook, such as posting links to their stories in the News Feed or creating their Pages.

It’s worth noting that Facebook is not the only social media platform that has reduced its reliance on news. In recent years, Twitter and YouTube have implemented changes that have made it increasingly challenging for news publishers to connect with their audience.

What does this mean for users?

For users, removing the News tab means they won’t have a dedicated place to see news stories. Despite the changes, users can still access news stories by following news Pages or clicking links to news articles in the News Feed. This means that even with modifications, users can still access news content through the aforementioned methods.

Removing the News tab is a significant change for Facebook, news publishers, and users.