Time to rethink news distribution, industry watchers, journos say

Manila, Philippines -- News organizations which have been attracting an audience through social media may have to rethink their content distribution schemes as Facebook pulls away from journalism and Twitter's stance on engagement with news remained unclear.

The two social media giants have weaved themselves into content distribution schemes of Philippine news publishers in the past decade, becoming crucial gateways for news discovery, sharing, and circulation.

Thus changes in Facebook's priorities and Twitter's problems, which both appeared more pronounced in November, are feared to affect news distribution. The solution, Filipino social media operators in these news organizations and some academics say, may lie in rethinking the entire distribution strategy.

Dr. Edson Tandoc of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, who has researched extensively on digital journalism and information ecosystems especially in the Asia-Pacific, said it is time to search for new ways to reach the audience.

"With the issues that the big social media platforms are facing, it may be the perfect time for news organizations to revisit their distribution models and find a way to reach news users outside social media platforms. Doing so will be more consistent with the normative ideals and responsibility of the news media and protect news users from fake news," Tandoc said.

This view is shared by another academic. Gary Mariano, former chairman of the Department of Communication of the De La Salle University in the Philippines, said news organizations need to step up to the task of gaining audience within their own property.

"News brands will have to find ways to improve their websites so that news consumers will develop the habit of going directly to them," Mariano said, adding that this is something "that would mean some serious thinking — and resources — on the part of publishers."

It's either this or the emergence of new social media platforms that may help news publishers pull in audience, Mariano said.

Philippine news organizations who have been nurturing social media presence to showcase content admit tougher times may be coming.

"It would certainly limit how we reach our audiences as social media is the first (if not the main) source of news for Filipinos. Revenue-wise it could also hurt digital-focused entities in the short term. Sharing misinformation will be more prevalent. Traditional media will have to brace for this," said Justin Joyas, social media manager at GMA News.

The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2022 said Filipinos' first access point for news is mainly through social media, at least the second year in a year when it had such findings.

Joyas added: "If this tech trend continues, trad [traditional] media must find ways to be less reliant on social media, yet they must find new avenues to reach this lost audience again."

Other journalists who have been operating on social media to distribute their content echoed this.

"As news publishers, it's difficult to ignore these troubling developments in these platforms, as they directly impact our ability to reach our audiences. This is even more challenging since most Filipinos get their news from social media, a platform that's rife and prone to disinformation," said Ralph Gurango, INQUIRER.net's social media manager.

Social media publisher John Marwin Elao from philstar.com and Interaksyon, meanwhile, like Mariano, believe other social media sites could emerge, or the onus of ensuring audience retention or gaining them back is on the news organizations.

"If no other social media site rises to the occasion, then I think Filipinos and news orgs alike will have to go back to the old ways. It's basically, 'hello, reading newspapers and magazines' again... I believe that news outlets will need to be innovative in how they present the news," Elao said.

"Platform swinging"

Though many -- especially the younger news consumers -- from the Philippines and many other markets rely on specific social media platforms as gateways for news, it is not unheard of for the audience to shift platform alliances, according to Tandoc.

"In a study we've published on what we call 'platform swinging,' we investigated the ability and practice of many social media users to swing from one platform to another. We see this routinely, but also when some platforms are facing connection issues. Based on this, I think users will quickly swing from one platform to another when facing issues," Tandoc said about the possibility of Filipinos looking towards other platforms given the situation of Facebook and Twitter.

This propensity to turn to an alternative may lead news consumers to the currently emerging platforms.

"Short-form videos seem to be the new normal for social media — TikTok has quickly grown and even Facebook and YouTube have embraced this format. News will have to be in that space to go after users. This may mean a realignment of priorities, a new set of skills, and a reinvention of story-telling. But this may also mean challenges to journalistic norms and ideals," Tandoc said.

Already, almost all Philippine news publishers are on Tiktok, or have been producing short-form videos.

"I noticed some news organizations, including http://Philstar.com, conducting news explainers and analyses now on Tiktok, a platform popular with Gen-Zers," Elao said, referencing the cohort born between 1997 and 2012, coming after the Millennials.

Short-form videos are also on the menu of possibilities cited by Joyas as he spoke of the need to regain lost ground in terms of audience attrition resulting from issues with the big social media sites.

Layoffs and resignations

Facebook owner Meta laid off more than 11,000 or 13 percent of its staff in November, including key positions that bridged it with news publishers, in a series of actions indicating it is de-emphasizing news in its operations and resource allocation.

Meanwhile, it is now unclear how Twitter, which for years took pride in being a platform for breaking news, plans to engage with news organizations. The platform did not shut down as touted after the November exodus of employees, including ranking officials and staff involved in its technical upkeep and content moderation.

But the new Twitter owner, Elon Musk, has been criticized heavily over alleged intolerance for criticisms and recent decisions including allowing the return of banned Twitter users into the platform such as former US President Donald Trump, whose account was suspended after the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. This stoked discussions on whether Twitter under Musk would continue to serve as a form of public square for discussion of issues.

• Elon Musk says he will step down as Twitter CEO once successor found
• Twitter outages hit thousands of users worldwide
• Musk says 'crazy' cost cuts have saved Twitter
• Timeline: Twitter mayhem since Musk takeover

As per experts, what appears crucial is how news organizations will proceed and weather this kind of headwinds.

"How can this be carried out is a big question, but this is the time for news organizations to focus on research and experimentation, bringing with them lessons they have learned from working with social media platforms," Tandoc said about reaching news users outside of social media.

The author, Arlene Burgos, is Head of Engagement and Partnerships of ABS-CBN News Digital, the unit that publishes this website. In this capacity she has been involved in synergies with social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, and in campaign and promotions for News Digital platforms and content.
To read about what she personally thinks about the topic of this story, please visit her blog.