Facebook’s Print Magazine or Whatever It is

Just last week we shared the news that Facebook has launched a print magazine.

It’s true. Facebook – the behemoth of all things digital –announced the premier issue of Grow, according to Piet van Niekerk in FIPP. The magazine – a lifestyle magazine for the cool, rich business leader set – started cropping up recently in business class lounges at Heathrow and London hot spots, among other places.

So, welcome, Mr. Z, to the ranks of magazine publisher. 

But hold on a minute before you go calling Facebook a publisher, according to this cheeky post in The Guardian. In response to people calling Grow a “magazine,” the post notes that Facebook’s Leah Woodington denies it’s a magazine, rather calling it a “business marketing programme.”

“This is purely intended for marketing communications purposes,” Woodington has said.

Why the distinction? As The Guardian reminds us, “Facebook aren’t publishers, or else they’d be responsible for the things that are published on their website.”

Facebook, we see you. You’ve installed yourself as the gatekeeper of news, the arbiter of media trust, and even recently hired former CNN host and NBC News reporter Campbell Brown as your head of global news partnerships. 

But okay, you’re not a publisher. Call it print marketing – we’re totally okay with that. Print is a fantastic way to engage with your readers in a highly trusted medium. It’s a good call for any brand looking to build trust and credibility. 

Meanwhile, back where all media channels matter… we like your magazine, Zuck. Cheers.