A report today in TechCrunch reveals that the Associated Press is using their Twitter account to push followers to their Facebook page. Rather than linking directly to news pages on their website, they are linking to pages on their Facebook profile which also features the news.

Techcrunch critises this move: “maybe they think that by hosting the content on Facebook, they’re being impartial with the tweets. But again, why not just use their own site?”

But, I think Techcrunch misses the point here. This isn’t about impartiality. It’s about building communities and it’s a smart move. I’ve written recently about the war that is brewing between Facebook and Google as both networks seek to become the social media (and email/messaging) dashboard.

Facebook is moving from the ‘walled garden’ network to the more open, ‘first port of call’ that, in many ways, Google has been to date. And with its user base soaring, it is perfectly poised to capitalise.

Facebook is also envious of the success that Twitter has had by embracing businesses and news outlets and has taken big steps recently to mirror this. It is a move that seems to be working, with recent research showing that Facebook is becoming a major driver to news networks. Outlets like the NYT has realised this and AP seems to be catching up on the action now too.

AP should be able to make the most of this, open digital world that media organisations now find themselves in. They are all about content. Monetising this content is a challenge. But embracing and building communities and new distribution networks is vital. By distributing their content directly to an engaged user base on Facebook (and Twitter), AP has much more control of how it uses this audience.

The traditional ‘website as a destination’ is beginning to decline. Fast forward to the ‘site-less’ web where rather than engaging with audiences on a corporate site, media outlets (and indeed brands) need to go to where the audience is. This is a big challenge for Murdoch et al but is already happening and is happening big-style.

As Steve Rubel says: “The AP is now changing the game for news by not only going where attention spirals are taking us but by also using their content to curate a conversation there and – above all build relationships.”

Monetisation is certainly an issue, but if AP can build up a significant user base on Facebook, the money will come.

As the power of Google News dimishes, can Facebook take over as the web’s news curator? AP seems to think it can…

hat tip to Ben, picture credit

“Our digital networks will be the backbone of our economy in the decades ahead. We know that every aspect of our lives – every school, every hospital, every workplace and even every home – will depend on the services the digital network provides.”

Gordon Brown, PM, 29th Jan 2009

What does he expect? Stop stating the bleeding obvious.

It’s no surprise, from the government that believes it is worth exploring age-ratings for websites.

I’m really starting to get pissed off with politics.

Others have highlighted further examples of the shortsightedness of the Digital Britain report, and yes, I know, we’ve only had the first part. But why bother with this bit?

As Emily Bell states, there is nothing in the report to argue with. But, there’s also nothing that inspires confidence about how we might survive (and lead?) the digital age.

Why bother merely summarising what everyone already knows? Digital is hugely important to our economy. We know. It will become even more important. We know. Everyone needs to have access to high speed internet access. We know.

How?

That’s the question.

How are the government going to do this? How will we achieve these things?

The time for simplistic analysis is over. Other countries are plowing full steam ahead. We need action and we need it sooner rather than later.

For once the opposition are spot on:

Jeremy Hunt, Tory shadow culture minister: “We thought the report was going to contain a strategy.  In France and Germany they are laying fibre, in Japan they already have it.”

Don Foster, Lib Dem culture, media and sport spokesman: “We’ve spent lots of money on reviews, but all we now have is a strategy group, an umbrella body, a delivery group, a rights agency, an exploratory review, a digital champion and an expert task force. This report has been a complete damp squib.”

Come on Gordon. Action, not words.

Rant over.