Twitter to be updated to highlight major events, such as earthquakes and royal weddings
Twitter is trying to stand out with its live following of events — such as the Fifa World Cup — and plans on giving big news events more space
San Francisco — On Wednesday, Twitter announced it is changing its service to give more space to major events, such as the Fifa World Cup, earthquakes, royal weddings and elections in a bid to make it easier for people to find interesting tweets. Twitter has tried to stand out with users and advertisers by emphasising live events and instant news, in contrast with social networks such as Facebook that have made news a lower priority than posts about family or friends. San Francisco-based Twitter said it would begin notifying users in its app when an event was happening that might interest them, and that it would promote such events in a dedicated section of Twitter’s search page. The prompts will appear at the top of Twitter’s timeline, the heart of the service and the first thing users generally see when they open Twitter on a smartphone, said Keith Coleman, Twitter vice-president of product. "We want Twitter to be the little bird on your shoulder that tells you what you need to kn...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.