Facebook subscriptions: Could Meta still be a friend for publishers?

One publisher trying out subscriptions on the platform thinks it could benefit others too.

Report by Charlotte Tobitt for Press Gazette

Facebook owner Meta has been “unfriending” news for more than two years, ending a long period of wooing the publishers who create much of the content shared by its users.

But while Meta may have stopped giving grants to publishers and sharing ad revenue with them, it may yet hold the key to selling online subscriptions for some titles.

Pulman’s Weekly News, a small newsbrand based in Axminster, Devon, now has more than 500 subscribers (of 1,700 Facebook followers in total) who pay £3.49 a month, less than a month after turning on Facebook subscriptions.

This suggests a total of at least £1,745 monthly from Facebook alone (Meta has said it is not taking fees on these transactions until at least the end of 2024.)

Owner Duncan Williams said: “I have always been an advocate of utilising Facebook and there is much good sense in being in the centre of today’s most popular digital arena, which is where the majority of our audience and readers already have account access, rather than expecting readers to create separate accounts on a standalone platform or paywall system.”

Williams has run Pulman’s Weekly News, founded in 1857, since 2018 when it closed in print. He previously made headlines when he bought West Country newspaper series View From for £1 two weeks after it was closed by by the previous owner but ended up being ruled personally responsible for hundreds of thousands owed to the group’s former employees and forced into bankruptcy.

Despite this experience Williams remains in local news and described working on Pulman’s as “very much a labour of love”.

“To be honest, my own family think I am crazy,” he said. “My younger brother has made a fortune in banking and thinks I am quite mad putting all my money into local media. But I still have a belief in this industry, and I always will.”

Pulman’s is also funded by a combination of Facebook advertorials, e-newsletters and providing social media design and management services for local businesses. Williams supplements it with his own freelance journalism and creating commercial videos for social media advertising.

Facebook subscribers to the Pulman’s page receive access to a dedicated subscriber discussion group, exclusive posts, videos including live broadcasts, photos and polls, a subscriber badge next to comments, and five highlighted featured comments a month on live videos.

Williams believes Facebook groups, often maintained by people prominent in their communities, are where many people now turn to for their local news in the absence of having reporters for every town and village. He described groups as “essentially the new local newspaper”.

A Charitable Journalism Project report published last year noted that Facebook was “by far the most important” social media service for local news information and that local pages and groups filled a gap in many communities. One focus group participant in Lewisham cited their local group and said it is the first place they look and “a lot of it’s trash to be honest, but a lot of it’s very useful”.

Williams feels that now a Facebook page “is actually of more value to a local publisher than a standalone website” and he has therefore been posting directly to the Pulman’s page for years rather than giving people a tease and asking them to click through – the website mimics a social media feed rather than having a traditional layout. He works with advertisers to accommodate them on the page itself and support this style of posting.

Williams said this had helped him pass the eligibility test as Meta wants people creating content specifically for the platform rather than primarily posting external links.

Facebook first introduced subscriptions, formerly known as fan subscriptions, in 2018. But they have never taken off among news publishers and may now represent an opportunity to claw something back from the platform.

To be eligible, a Facebook page must meet certain criteria including having either 10,000 followers or at least 250 return views. It must also have reached either 50,000 post engagements or 180,000 watch minutes in the previous 60 days, and be in compliance with Facebook’s monetisation policies.

Williams said: “I feel that as soon as this is made aware to most publishers, they will want to try it.”

Duncan Williams - media owner

According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report this summer, Facebook does remain the most-used social media platform for news (17% in the UK) even though this is down from a peak of 28% in 2016.

Gen Z (currently aged up to 26) have particularly moved away from Facebook and towards Instagram, visual mobile-first media and then Tiktok since 2018.

But in a world where the platform makes up a sizeable amount of time spent yet referral traffic has plummeted and publishers nonetheless continue to post on the platform to stay in front of the Facebook native audience, topping up revenue with subscriptions from that crowd could be a nice added extra source – especially as Substack has shown people are willing to pay for a community and content they care about.

See Press Gazette -

https://pressgazette.co.uk/social_media/facebook-subscriptions-news-publishers/

ONCE CONSIDERED BY SOME TO BE EVIL, LEFT-HANDERS ARE NOW CELEBRATED - 😁👍

Report by Duncan Williams @ViewNewsUK

International Left-Handers Day, celebrated annually on August 13th, is dedicated to raising awareness and promoting the uniqueness of left-handed individuals.

The day was first observed in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, founder of the Left-Handers International organisation. The purpose behind this day is to recognise the challenges that left-handed individuals often face in a world designed primarily for right-handed people.

Throughout history, left-handedness has been associated with various cultural beliefs and superstitions. In some societies, left-handedness was even considered a sign of evil or bad luck. This negative perception led to discrimination and even attempts to forcibly convert left-handed people to right-handedness.

Horrific stories of children being beaten on their palms by religious institutions and cruel school teachers abound, even towards the end of the 20th century. As a result of this ignorance, left-handedness has often been stigmatised for generations in countries across the world.

International Left-Handers Day seeks to change these perceptions and create a positive environment for left-handed individuals. It's a day to celebrate their contributions to society, whether in fields like art, sports, science, or any other area. It's also a reminder to acknowledge the challenges they might face in a world that's largely designed for right-handed people, from everyday tools to writing techniques.

The day often involves activities and events that raise awareness about the needs and experiences of left-handed individuals. It's also an opportunity for left-handers to come together, share their stories, and celebrate their unique traits. Social media platforms play a significant role in spreading awareness and facilitating discussions on this day.

In essence, International Left-Handers Day serves as a platform to appreciate the diversity of human experiences and to foster inclusivity, understanding, and acceptance for left-handed individuals around the world.

WEEKLY WELLBEING: WHY DOES GOD ALLOW BAD THINGS TO HAPPEN TO US? - 🙏 🌨️

The age-old question of why God, in any religious tradition, allows bad things to happen to good people is one of the most perplexing and difficult theological questions. It is a question that has troubled believers for centuries and has yet to receive a satisfactory answer. Many people have asked this question throughout history, and there have been countless attempts to provide a satisfactory answer. But despite these efforts, the question remains one of the most challenging and thought-provoking of theological puzzles.

At the heart of this question is the problem of evil. The problem of evil arises because we observe evil and suffering in the world, and we wonder why a good and loving God would allow such things to happen. This question is particularly pressing for those who believe in an all-powerful and benevolent God, as it seems that such a God would have the power to prevent evil and suffering but chooses not to do so.

There are many ways that theologians and philosophers have attempted to address this question. One common response is that God allows evil and suffering in the world as a consequence of human free will. This view holds that God has given humans the freedom to choose between good and evil, and that evil is a consequence of human choices. This explanation suggests that evil is not caused by God but by humans who use their free will to make choices that lead to suffering and harm.

Another response is that God uses suffering and evil for a greater good. This view suggests that God allows suffering and evil to exist because they serve a greater purpose in God's plan. For example, suffering and evil can help to build character and foster spiritual growth, or they can serve as a test of faith and an opportunity for humans to demonstrate their trust in God.

Still, others argue that the problem of evil is not a problem at all. They suggest that it is simply part of the human experience and that the existence of evil and suffering does not necessarily contradict the idea of a loving and benevolent God. Some suggest that it is simply impossible for us humans to fully understand the ways of God, and that we must accept that there are some things we may never fully understand. 

We know that there is darkness and that there is light. There is survival and there is death. There is good and there is bad. Why exactly this is the case, we cannot give a satisfactory answer to. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide how they will reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with their faith in a loving God. 

However, one thing is certain, the question itself is a reminder of the great mystery and complexity of the divine. It continually challenges us to deepen our insight and understanding of the dual forces at work both in our universe, and within ourselves. 

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A Faith & Ethics Report by Duncan Williams @NewsAdvertiser