Product Sense: Rethink the Way People Share News Stories on Facebook

You are a product manager at Meta. How would you improve the experience of sharing news on Facebook? Decide what the improvement should achieve, pick the users you would design for, and walk through their problems, your proposed solutions, how you would prioritize them and how you would measure success. ```hint Settle what news means The word can cover articles about current events or people's updates about their own lives, and the right goal differs between them. Settle the meaning first, then ask whether Facebook wants more of this sharing or better sharing. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "news" mean articles and links about current events, or people sharing updates about their own lives? - Is the goal more news shares, or better ones, such as shares that start real conversations without spreading false stories? - Does the improvement cover only posting to the Feed, or also sharing into Groups, Stories and Messenger? - Which countries are in scope, given that rules on showing news content differ by country? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated interpretation of "news" and a goal that fits both Facebook's mission and the integrity risks that news carries. - Segments of people who share, or avoid sharing, news, with a justified focus. - Pain points across choosing an audience, posting the story and the conversation that follows. - Prioritized solutions with their trade-offs, especially between share volume and the spread of false or divisive content. - A success metric beyond share counts, with guardrails such as reports, hides and shares of debunked stories. ### Follow-up Questions - Your change raises news shares, and reports of false stories rise with them. What do you do? - How would your plan change in a country where news links cannot be shown on Facebook at all? - Publishers want clicks to their sites. How do you keep them on board if your design keeps more of the conversation on Facebook?