While Facebook recently revamped its site to display less news content in general to users and prioritize local news, Twitter aims to show more breaking news content to the public. The micro-blogging site has confirmed that it is testing a new method of showing more breaking news to users.
The new method is designed to curate Twitter timelines once breaking news and events pop up, using new algorithms to promote the fresh content so that it gains a more prominent spot on the user's feed.
In a statement, Twitter product VP Keith Coleman said:
People come to Twitter to see and talk about what's happening. We're working on ways to make it easier for everyone to find relevant news and the surrounding conversation so they can stay informed about what matters to them.
Although the new system is meant to use algorithms, Twitter tapped human moderators as part of the curation process during the test. In the future, however, Twitter plans to stick to a completely algorithmic method.
The website is currently conducting the test on its iOS and Android apps in the United States, and it's not immediately clear when, and if, Twitter plans to roll out the system to its general users.
The algorithmically curated timeline is part of the company's broader push into news. Last month, Twitter introduced a new live streaming section on its website to let users broadcast local news during major events.
Source & Image: BuzzFeed News
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