Snapchat would like to see itself as a serious news site, one that showcases only genuine news stuff, and the company revealed as it prepares for its initial public offering scheduled this spring. The company also stated it has updated its policies for the publishers to follow accordingly.
According to Snapchat, the things that would be rooted out include fake news, click-bait articles, those depicting explicit sexual content or violent stuff. Also, it would be the publisher’s discretion to ensure content deemed inappropriate for those below 18 are marked out clearly to allow for effective screening.
The above applies to news stories that get depicted in the Snapchat Discover section. As such, Snapchat’s media partners which include such hallowed names as Sports Illustrated or CNN will have to screen their individual contributions before submitting those to Snapchat Discover.
Such efforts on part of Snapchat assume significance in light of the fake news issue that Facebook stands accused of. A deluge of fake news on Facebook’s news feed is believed to have been one prime reason Donald Trump is now the official resident of the White House.
Snapchat has also been working to make their service appeal more to the masses in the run-up to its IPO listing where it is valued at $25 billion. It had earlier launched a new search bar which it hopes will aid in navigation among its various offerings.
Snapchat has often been criticized for being a bit too complex for navigation what with the various swipes and gestures that it is designed to respond. While that is also the reason the company has come to be liked by its clientele comprising mainly of the young adults, Snapchat surely is out to woo a wider section of its audience.
The redesigned user interface which includes of the new search bar has only been available to Android users so far but has not been introduced to iOS as well. This will ensure even novice users are able to search for groups, friends, Discover publishers or the Our Stories section.
