Facebook: A News Site June 18, 2007
Here's an update on one of my previous posts. Since joining Facebook about two weeks ago, Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz has friended me. In fact, according to today's Media Notes column, Howie has friended over 300 people on the social network.
In his continued exploration of Facebook, he quotes Kelley Sayler (I dunno who she is) concerning the site's newsfeed as she mocks the feature:
because the world really needs to know that they had macaroni and cheese for lunch at 12:32 p.m. The newsfeed doesn't feed news; it feeds exhibitionism and egotism. . . . The cult of celebrity has trickled down to the masses and made us all alternately nosy and self-important.
While most of my news appetite is defined by a thirst for hard news, the newsfeed is why I consider Facebook one of the most relevant news sites.
This feature updates me about how and what people who are important and close to me are doing; it even shows me pictures. The exploits of a friend from high school, college, or work are so much more important to me than that of Paris Hilton.
Through the notes feature, Facebook allows my friends to write about whatever they want — even news commentary or a detailed description of an event important to me like one of my friend's birthday parties.
As I see my friends join highly targeted groups or write comments on others' profiles, I can get a sense of how they feel about movies, politics, sports, etc. With the new API offerings, there are applications that enable those on Facebook to spread information about entertainment, important causes, and other important stuff like which Disney film villain they are most like.
Oh yeah, Facebook also reminds me of birthdays. The Marketplace feature is its classified section. People can also post YouTube videos for audio/visual content.
The newsfeed also makes a great marketing tool; doesn't most news come with advertising?
Facebook provides news about people whom I care about in a much better way than a mainstream media news site does. Thus, with all due respect to Sayler, I like the newsfeed; it makes Facebook a Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly about, for, and by my friends and me.
