New Facebook app launched by The Guardian
The Guardian has unveiled its first Facebook app, designed to offer a social news experience to users, and allowing relevant Guardian content to be shared amongst friends.
The app continued the company’s ‘digital-first’ strategy, for open, online journalism, and will offer Facebook users the chance to read and share content from both The Guardian, and sister Sunday title – The Observer.
Meg Pickard, head of digital engagement, Guardian News & Media, said: "We know that a lot of Guardian readers are keen Facebook users, and vice versa, so we wanted to create a news experience that was native to the Facebook environment. The app draws on the social functionality they are already familiar with to highlight and discover quality Guardian content, and makes users' reading experience more personal and relevant.
“We’ve had a presence on Facebook for some time, but working with them to develop this app as a Facebook Open Graph launch partner has demonstrated that it's possible to get the best of both social and news worlds. We can also engage new readers who may not already be frequently interacting with the Guardian brand, who can now discover our excellent content via their friends' interactions."
Christian Hernandez, director, Platform Partnerships for Facebook, said: "Since Facebook Platform launched four years ago, innovative companies have been transforming industries by rebuilding products through social design. The Guardian is rethinking how people consume news online through its new integration with Facebook, making it easier for people to discover the most relevant news through their friends."