The Washington Post Integrates Facebook® Social Plugins To Offer Socially-Driven News Experience

The Washington Post today launches Network News, an innovative new feature that integrates Facebook to create a far more personalized and social experience for users on The Washington Post's Web site. During the first phase of Network News, your friends' favorite articles will be prominently featured at the top of the homepage and each article page.

On Facebook, people already use its one-click Like button to show their interest in friends' status updates, photos and links. By integrating this feature on washingtonpost.com, readers can sign-in with their Facebook login and instantly show their friends what they’ve enjoyed on The Post’s Web site, whether articles, editorials, photo galleries or other content. Similarly, a reader who is logged onto Facebook and visits washingtonpost.com will instantly see recommendations from his or her network of friends.

"In many media organizations, editors select the news deemed most important, but we recognize that our readers also value what their friends think. Network News lets us prominently feature what readers and their friends like, allowing us to create a site that is even more relevant to our audience," said Goli Sheikholeslami, Vice President and General Manager of Digital Operations for The Washington Post.

Each Washington Post article page features a Network News box in the top right corner of the page that lets you see how many of your friends have "Liked" that article or what your friends recommend when you are signed onto Facebook. The Network News box also reveals the most "Liked" articles across the site and your friends' top likes, along with thumbnail profile images. Coming soon, your favorite articles and Washington Post interactions, such as a list of articles you have "Liked,” will also be prominently featured in the Network News box, as Post developers continue to build new features.

"More than 400 million people already associate Facebook with their authentic identity and real friends—there's no better way to help them get started on a popular site like The Washington Post,” said Ethan Beard, Director of Facebook Developer Network.

Readers will have profile pages on The Post that show a collection of their friends’ activities as well as the most liked articles on the site.

For more information, visit www.washingtonpost.com.

Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

About The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com)

The Washington Post provides award-winning news and understanding about the politics, policies, personalities and institutions that make Washington, D.C. the world’s seat of power, and is a critical tool and information source for those who call Washington, D.C. home. In digital form, The Washington Post combines its world-class journalism with the latest technology and tools, and encourages participation and customization across all platforms so readers can engage with The Washington Post anytime, anywhere. The Washington Post is owned by The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO), a diversified education and media company.