Facebook is preparing to offer newsletter tools for freelance journalists and writers, they mention The New York Times.
The tools are believed to have features to help authors gain more followers using the social network, edit their email lists and manage subscriptions on payment.
Although the project is reportedly in the early stages, according to information, Facebook executives hope it could start this summer.
The news comes as interest in newsletters grows. The Newsletter Substack service acquired more of 250.000 subscribers paying since September last year, and just this week Twitter acquired the Revue newsletter company.
Some high-profile journalists have left traditional publications to start independent newsletters, promising full control over workof them and for the ability to earn more directly the income that subscriptions bring.
Facebook is trying to better highlight the news sources on its platform. The News Tab is a section of the service that includes content from affiliated media organizations, some of which are paid to include their articles.
In a statement given to the NYT, afaceFacebook did not immediately confirm the publication, but said the company is working on ways to support independent journalists.
"We want to do more to support the independent journalists and experts who create businesses and online audiences," said Facebook's vice president of global news partnerships Campbell Brown.
"We are looking for ways to help them benefit from the news products we have created, such as Facebook News and subscriptions, while also creating new tools to complement what journalists already find useful."
Given the boom in newsletter popularity, it was a matter of time before Facebook. CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly asked his team to make the project a priority after noticing the trend.
