Could ‘Facebook Editions’ help struggling newspapers?

Facebook Editions will be ‘publication apps’ that will allow Facebook users to read news updates from select news outlets without having to leave Facebook.
According to Forbes, about a dozen US news publishers like the Washington Post, CNN and The Daily have signed up to have their own apps created for Facebook. It is thought Facebook Editions will be rolled out in September, initially in the US but then globally, should they prove successful with publishers and readers.
While many newspapers already have their own Facebook pages, and their own sites carrying the Facebook Like buttons, the Editions apps will be an entirely different beast – with implications for all publishers should they prove popular.
Facebook’s goal is to keep as many people on its site for as long as possible. It doesn’t want to be ‘just’ a social network, it wants to be a place where people go to socialise, play games, watch movies, listen to music, share stuff with their friends and catch up on what’s going on in the world.
For a long time, Facebook was the only social network worth its salt, leading the way with new innovations. However, the arrival of Google+ has changed the atmosphere somewhat. With nearly 10 million users already, Google+ is being taken seriously by the global online community. Google+ is also said to have something like Editions in the pipeline. Again, the goal is simple: keep users in one place, give them what they want and prevent them from leaving the site.
For publishers, Editions and the Google+ plans should be greeted with enthusiasm. People search for news less and less and rely on their social networks to share stories with them. Information is now shared more than sought. With dedicated Facebook and Google+ news apps, publishers will also be able to generate extra revenue from ads sold within these customised arenas. Facebook, too, will most likely look for a share of any revenues.
The aim of the social networks is clear, they want to be an online residence for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. They don’t just want to be a place where people visit. They want to be the place where people live.