Facebook Kills 'Trending' Topics, Tests Breaking News Label

Facebook is shutting down its ill-fated "trending" news section after four years. The company claims the tool is outdated and wasn't popular. But the trending section also proved problematic in ways that would presage Facebook's later problems with fake news, political balance and the limitations of artificial intelligence in managing the messy human world. 

While Facebook is killing the trending section, it is testing new features, including a "breaking news" label that publishers can add to stories to distinguish them from other chatter. Facebook also wants to make local news more prominent. Facebook's head of news products, Alex Hardiman, said the company is still committed to breaking and real-time news. But instead of having Facebook's moderators, human or otherwise, make editorial decisions, there's also been a subtle shift to let news organizations do so.