This week, the New York Times released an article stating that Facebook has been in contact with half a dozen media companies to begin testing a new format to host news content inside Facebook rather than linking back to the publisher’s website. Facebook believes that the time it takes to open up the link on the website (typically 8 seconds) is too long, and this would be a way to make content appear more seamless and quickly.
This proposal would eliminate the ability of news organizations to collect consumer data, which may make them more cautious about entering the deal. However, Facebook discussed ways for publishers to make money off of advertising to make the proposal more appealing.
I think that the relationship with Facebook and the media is so important today, because people are resorting to different social media platforms to receive the news rather than to traditional news websites or newspapers. I often learn about stories on the news based on what is trending on Facebook. Thus, it seems like a good idea to embed the stories right into Facebook, especially when people are using their smartphones—it would eliminate the process of opening up a new browser and make news consumption more efficient.