Don’t just rely on Facebook for news, says news app CEO

Gelo Gonzales

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Don’t just rely on Facebook for news, says news app CEO
Facebook is not a news network; it's a relationship platform where its makers' goal is to try to make people's bonds stronger, according to Inkl CEO Gautam Mishra

MANILA, Philippines – Gautam Mishra, the former strategist for Australia’s Fairfax Media, remains very optimistic for the future of news, as he revealed in an episode of Rappler Talk Thursday, October 26. (READ: Rappler Talk: Gautam Mishra on the future of news)

Mishra established that the news industry is one of the most rapidly-changing, wildly-disrupted industries today, thanks in part to the emergence of tech platforms, such as Google and Facebook. These platforms have become the go-to source of information for many people today, but have also been plagued by many problems, chief of which is fake news. The emergence of authoritarian leaders who have launched attacks on media is a problem as well. (READ: Rappler joins Inkl and world’s top news groups in ‘Spotify of news’)

In spite of these, Mishra says he has reason to stay positive. He contends that publishers today are more confident about their future than any time in the last 20 years. Publishers are starting to realize that they are in charge of their own destiny – one that could be forged through paid subscriptions. 

He cites the UK’s The Independent and The Washington Post as outlets that have become profitable now, thanks to a subscription model. The New York Times is on the rise too, he said, now with two million subscribers, targeting 10 million. 

“No one is out there to save the industry. Facebook is not out there to save the industry. Publishers have to stop expecting and wanting them to play that role,” Mishra said.

Consumer concerns

Why would consumers want to pay for information on the internet when it seems to be so freely abundant? 

Mishra has an answer: it’s because consumers have begun to feel how inconsistent the quality of the information is online. He said that, for the first time in the history of the news industry, “industry problems are well understood by the consumers of news.” They’ve seen fake news, and, slowly, are becoming more careful in trusting online information. They’re starting to see the value of information offered by credible sources. 

Along with that hopefully comes the understanding that high-quality information and the people reporting this kind of information have to be valued fairly. “Information wants to be valued fairly, it doesn’t want to be free,” Mishra added. 

The Facebook problem

Today, 97% of Filipinos and 44% of Americans get their news on Facebook. It’s a very, very fundamental problem, Mishra said. Despite clamor from critics, Facebook is not a news network; it’s a relationship platform where its makers’ goal is to try to make people’s bonds stronger, according to Mishra. 

These social networks show items of content that two people or groups of people will agree with and will be of a mind about. It’s the opposite of what news publishers will try to do, which constantly try to expand the horizons of readers and introduce them to new and challenging ideas. 

“So I think there is a very fundamental problem with the idea of relying just on Facebook for news, but, more so, in expecting Facebook to play that role. I, in fact, think the only real option for Facebook here is to step further away from news. Whether they choose to censor the news or not censor the news, they will get criticized either way. And it will not help their business position to be caught in that struggle,” said Mishra. 

Finding a safe space for news 

Mishra described a statement by former United States President Barack Obama as “visionary”: that there is a need for a safe space to read the news. 

At its core, that’s what Inkl, dubbed the “Spotify for news”, is trying to be – a safe space to read the news. Mishra is the CEO of the news app. According to Mishra, it’s a place where you won’t have to worry about whether someone is writing something for online ad-powered commercial gain or for propaganda. It’s a hub for news from different locations, filled with different perspectives, different angles and takes sourced only from credible and trustworthy publications. (READ: Rappler joins Inkl and world’s top news groups in ‘Spotify of news)

Inkl is selective about the news organizations they bring in, factoring in authenticity and reliability before they include them in their library. 

Think of it as a collective news network, and every member of the network has been screened to be deemed trustworthy and accurate, offering only high-quality information. As people get tired of all the fake news propagated in free-for-all social networks, Inkl wants to offer an option where people can simply get the information and the serious news they can fully trust. 

The Inkl app has licenses for the world’s top titles, and you can support Rappler and other professional news groups in two ways: pay a monthly fee of P599 for full access; or pay only for what you read at P4 per article.

Here’s a list of all the news groups you can read on Inkl (in alphabetical order):

ABC News, AFP, Al Jazeera, Bangkok PostBusinessweekChicago TribuneChina Daily, Crikey, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, Hindustan TimesIrish Independent, Livemint, Los Angeles Times, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Miami HeraldNewsdayOrlando Sentinel, Rappler, Reuters, South China Morning PostSt Louis Post-Dispatch, The Age, The Atlantic, The Canadian Press, The Conversation, The Guardian-AU, The Guardian-UK, The Guardian-US, The Independent UK, The Jerusalem Post, The News Lens, The New York TimesThe New Zealand HeraldThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Straits TimesThe Sydney Morning HeraldWashington Post, and Tribune News Service. Rappler.com

 

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Gelo Gonzales

Gelo Gonzales is Rappler’s technology editor. He covers consumer electronics, social media, emerging tech, and video games.