Facebook launches page for journalists

WASHINGTON: Facebook on Tuesday launched a resource page for media to help journalists use social networking as a tool for reporting and better connect with their audience.

"Journalists on Facebook" page is meant to be "a permanent resource for the growing number of journalists using Facebook to find sources, interact with readers, and the advance stories," Justin Osofsky, director of Facebook partnerships with the media, said in a blog post.

"The page will provide journalists with the best practices for integrating the latest products work with Facebook and Facebook connection with the audience of over 500 million people," said Osofsky.

Facebook has worked with reporters since early 2010 to help make their content more social and Osofsky said the average media organization has seen referral traffic from Facebook soar over 300 percent since then.

Facebook has also said it was launching a "Facebook Journalism Meetup" program with workshops on how to use Facebook as a reporting tool.

He said the first will take place April 27 at the head of Facebook in Palo Alto, California.

In the hours coming up, journalists on the Facebook page had received more than 2,300 "love."

Among those who have been friending top television news anchor Katie Couric CBS, evening news of ABC, Diane Sawyer, anchor and ABC talk show Sunday Christiane Amanpour, formerly of CNN. (AFP)