Is Facebook Ready to Be the World’s Live News Network?

Until recently, the big news in the world of news was that Facebook was retreating from journalism. After an unexpected dip in the personal sharing that is its core business, plus a mini-scandal involving allegations of political bias in how it displayed content from conservative websites, Facebook said it was updating its algorithm to prioritize wedding announcements and baby photos over postings by media companies. “Friends and family come first,” the company said in a June 29 blog post.

And when Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg announced the Facebook Live video function, he presented it as a platform for life’s small trials and triumphs. “You can feel like you’re really there with your friends,” he said on April 6, when the service launched. Among the videos he praised: a young man’s haircut as it happened, a woman skiing downhill with her kids, and a zoo camera trained on some baby birds. “Everyone is tuned in, watching these cute bald eagles, wondering what’s going to happen,” he said, with a wide grin. “It’s kind of a new thing.”