Snapchat just announced its new Discover feature, a collaboration with media companies such as Vice, CNN, Yahoo News, Comedy Central, and National Geographic to bring news to users in the form of Snapchat stories.
News stories released through Discover will be available in multiple parts, allowing for media companies to string together a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. In typical Snapchat fashion, each news story will last for 24 hours before disappearing.
The introduction of Discover will help Snapchat further compete with Facebook, which now includes links to viral news stories on its home page.
Snapchat announced Discover in a blog post today, taking jabs at social-media sites (like Facebook) that determine what news is important through “clicks and shares.”
Snapchat has always celebrated the way that you and your friends see the world. It’s fun to experience different perspectives through Snaps, Stories and Our Story.
Today we’re introducing Discover.
Snapchat Discover is a new way to explore Stories from different editorial teams. It’s the result of collaboration with world-class leaders in media to build a storytelling format that puts the narrative first. This is not social media.
Social media companies tell us what to read based on what’s most recent or most popular. We see it differently. We count on editors and artists, not clicks and shares, to determine what’s important.
Discover is different because it has been built for creatives. All too often, artists are forced to accommodate new technologies in order to distribute their work. This time we built the technology to serve the art: each edition includes full screen photos and videos, awesome long form layouts, and gorgeous advertising.
Discover is new, but familiar. That’s because Stories are at the core – there’s a beginning, middle, and end so that editors can put everything in order. Every edition is refreshed after 24 hours – because what’s news today is history tomorrow.
Discover is fun and easy to use. Tap to open an edition, swipe left to browse Snaps, or swipe up on a Snap for more. Each channel brings you something unique – a wonderful daily surprise!