Facebook has finally launched its long-rumored standalone news platform called Bulletin. The launch was announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg during an audio conference where he said that this launch was a “response to what’s happening in the media ecosystem.”
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Bulletin will include a mix of free and paid newsletters. Paid subscribers will not only get access to articles behind a paywall but extra features as well such as dedicated Facebook Groups or special badges.
Just like the newsletter startup Substack, Facebook is also paying writers to add content to Bulletin. Zuckerberg has said that Facebook will not be taking a cut of its writers’ earnings and will let them take their content and subscribers to other platforms as well.
Authors will also be able to promote their articles through podcasts, audio rooms, and other means.
Unlike Facebook’s other news-related endeavors, Bulletin will live outside of the main Facebook app. It will get its own website and branding, but it will make use of Facebook’s distribution tools. Bulletin will become a part of a writer’s Facebook page and readers can also find its content on Facebook’s built-in news feed.
Bulletin’s initial lineup of writers includes authors from CNN as well as ESPN. Facebook describes the platform’s current stage as a “closed beta” and it is unclear when more writers will be added to the fray, other than the ones handpicked by Facebook.
However, now that it has officially been launched, it will not be long before it goes public.
