Facebook testing new feature that lets you find local news & events

Facebook is making it easier for its users to find local news from verified sources. According to a Recode report, the social networking giant is testing a feature called "Today In", a mix of a city-specific event, announcements, and local news.

The "Today In" section will exist alongside the local news that already appears in people's news feeds and on publisher pages. The Today In section will be powered by a mix of machine learning software and human workers used for surfacing local content.  Based on the location you are residing in, Facebook will feed you local news relevant to your locality. The local news publishers will be approved by Facebook's News Partnerships team

The initiative is part of the Journalism Project initiative, a measure to establish strong ties between Facebook and the news industry which was started last year. The project was started to curb fake news after the 2016 US elections.

The company is currently testing the feature in cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana; Olympia, Washington; Billings, Montana; Binghamton, New York; Peoria, Illinois and Little Rock, Arkansas. The 'Today In' tab can be accessed in these cities by clicking on the ☰ button on the bottom right corner of the app.