Facebook will spend $5 million paying reporters to join its local news platform

Facebook says it will spend $5 million paying local journalists on a new publishing platform. Reuters reported the news on Thursday, saying independent journalists could begin applying for the program today. The company is prioritizing reporters in areas without an existing news source — sometimes called “news deserts” — who plan to cover “Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian or other audiences of color.”

Facebook announced its new local news platform last month. The platform includes a self-publishing tool that lets reporters launch newsletters and charge for subscriptions, as well as integration with existing features like Facebook pages and groups. Reuters reports that Facebook will strike multiyear deals with selected journalists, who...

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