Ever wondered what kind of content is Facebook intentionally showing less of on the News Feed? The company published its content distribution guidelines on September 22 to increase transparency around policies governing its algorithms. "We want to give a clearer sense of what we think is problematic but not worth removing,” Jason Hersch, head of integrity policy at Facebook, told The Verge. The guidelines outline 28 types of posts that get reduced distribution on Facebook. The distribution guidelines shed light on how Facebook sets incentives for content creators and dictates what type of content has a chance to thrive on the platform. Such guidelines might make their way onto Facebook-owned Instagram among other social media platforms in the future. Why does Facebook demote content and what type gets demoted? According to the guidelines, there are three broad values on the basis of which Facebook decides what content to demote on the News Feed: user feedback, incentivising high-quality content, and ensuring safety. 1. User feedback: The company listens to feedback gathered from Facebook users about what they prefer to see on the News Feed and formulates guidelines accordingly, demoting certain types of posts such as: Destination pages: Posts containing links to destination pages that are poorly formatted, not mobile-friendly, or broken. Sensationalist health content: Posts with exaggerated health claims, including miracle cures. Clickbait: Posts that withhold information or use sensationalist phrasing, with headlines like “You won’t believe...” or “You’ll never guess…” 2. Low-quality/inaccurate content: To provide 'interesting new material' on its News…
