Facebook on Thursday rolled out its live streaming app, Mentions, for journalists and other verified users to help then share more of their work on the social networking platform.
Released in July 2014, Mentions was previously accessible by only high-profile celebrities like actors, athletes, musicians and politicians with verified Facebook fan Pages.
Vadim Lavrusik, product manager for Facebook Mentions, told media that the change applies to “thousands” of Facebook users who have verified accounts, including journalists, who want to engage with their followers.
He said Facebook decided to open Mentions to journalists in order to better facilitate interactions between newsrooms and the communities they cover.
The rollout means journalists will now be able to use the Facebook Mentions app to stream live footage to Facebook during breaking news events. They can now report from the scene, host Q&A sessions, and connect to their followers or friends. The broadcast footage will show up in users’ News Feed and in some cases, they will even receive a notification.
Furthermore, Mention users can even search for currently trending topics and check what people have commented about them or any particular topic in real-time.
Facebook Mentions also allows users to choose their audience while sharing text, links, photos or something else.
Verified Facebook users interested in giving Mentions will just need to download Facebook Mentions from the App Store and log in with their Facebook credentials.
For users who believe their Page or profile should be verified, will need to fill out an online form to request a verified badge.
