Facebook says service hindered by lack of local news
But the social media giant said it has found that 40 percent of Americans live in places where there werent enough local news stories to support it.
Facebook announced Monday it would share its research with academics at Duke, Harvard, Minnesota and North Carolina who are studying the extent of news deserts created by newspaper closures and staff downsizing .
Some 1,800 newspapers have closed in the United States over the last 15 years, according to the University of North Carolina.
Newsroom employment has declined by 45 percent as the industry struggles with a broken business model partly caused by the success of companies on the Internet, including Facebook.
She said she hopes the data helps pinpoint areas where the need is greatest, eventually leading to some ideas for solutions.
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