Facebook recently announced the company is altering the algorithm that runs its news feed, which displays a computer-curated selection of posts from other users and Facebook pages.

No longer will it prioritise “helping you find relevant content”, says the site’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg. The new goal is to help you “have more meaningful interactions.”
What will change?

Today, most people’s news feeds are dominated by professionally made content from brands, businesses and the news media. Zuckerberg says Facebook wants to change that balance, so your feed will instead be dominated by posts from friends and family, as well as Facebook groups you are a member of.

The change is not yet in effect, so it is hard to know how different this approach will be, but it probably means if you are counting on Facebook to deliver you local and national news, you will be out of luck.

By diminishing the influence of news media, it may be trying to avoid a repeat of the bad press it received during the 2016 U.S. election when it became a breeding ground for “fake news”, helping spread stories that misled millions.

Over the years, Facebook has changed the game – on you and us – by changing the algorithm, it uses to serve you content on your Facebook feed, favoring content that keeps you inside their app longer.

The Tribune’s larger concern is that you’re going to be less involved in the information that makes this community operate. You’re going to know less about your schools, your local government and your local sports teams.

If you want to continue getting your news from Facebook, there are a couple things you can do. Visit The Tribune Facebook page, rather than letting the Facebook news feed serve content to you, is a good way to keep up with us. Also, our content is more visible the more that people share and comment on it, so if it’s a story you care about it, please share it.

There are also many other ways you can continue to get timely, local news from us. Visit our website daily at irontontribune.com or as always, subscribe to The Tribune newspaper.