Five things worth sharing from the last week or so, brought to you by a different member of the Browser Media team every Friday.
This week’s My Five is by Ali.
1. WhatsApp use on the rise for news
According to a new report by the Reuters Institute For The Study of Journalism, which covered 34 countries, WhatsApp is becoming an increasingly popular channel for the dissemination of news, and although Facebook remains at number one in most territories, its popularity is waning.
The report shows that the use of Facebook for news is decreasing in more than half of the countries where a year on year comparison was achievable, and WhatsApp was the second or third most popular channel in over forty countries.
In some of the countries included in the study, citizens are prohibited from sharing any anti-government sentiment which therefore deters them from using more open networks and pushes them towards more closed channels such as WhatsApp.
It’s pretty difficult for media brands to take advantage of private messaging services but that appears to be the general appeal for most of us – the ability to share and discuss the news agenda without being interrupted by advertising or promoted content.
2. #BringYourDogToWorkDay
Ruff day at the office? – This will make you smile. Businesses across the country have been welcoming some well-behaved four-legged friends into their workplaces today, in order to raise money for those charities dedicated to improving the dog welfare. Now, who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?!
https://twitter.com/ZoeMarkham/status/878142294213496833
New Hire! Proud to present Mane's new Head of Barketing – Poppy. #BringYourDogToWorkDay pic.twitter.com/U0lq0csQMo
— Mane Consulting (@maneconsulting) June 22, 2017
Not only is tomorrow Friday, it’s also #BringYourDogToWorkDay. Productivity expected to hit all time high as “dogs know best”. pic.twitter.com/JCDb2NsWqF
— The Kennel Club (@TheKennelClubUK) June 22, 2017
Of course, I simply have to include our own full-time office dog, Ruby!
3. Google goes after the recruitment market
Google has recently decided to take on the jobs market by creating a tool that allows users to search for jobs in much the same way as a normal Google search. At present the site is available in the US but will roll out in the UK soon apparently.
By typing in the word jobs or internships in to Google, a specific jobs search bar is created and by using filters allows the user to find their dream job. Job seekers will also be able to search for ‘jobs near me’ and the search engine will do its best to interpret the data on various job sites (LinkedIn, Monster, WayUp, DirectEmployers, CareerBuilder, Glassdoor and Facebook) and return the most relevant results.
It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out as it will certainly shake up the UK recruitment scene if it’s a success. However not every Google launch automatically has the Midas touch, so we’ll need to wait and see.
4. A digital fidget spinner
If you aren’t already annoyed by the widespread adoption of this craze for the tri-pronged kids toy (with all due respect to children who actually benefit from them), there is now an online version. By typing spinner in to Google you are presented with a digital version which can be controlled by the click of a mouse. Totally and utterly pointless but somewhat inevitable.
5. The boy in the dress
Not actually the David Walliams version as above but a vaguely humorous story that arose out of the unprecedented temperatures we’ve experienced over the past few days. News outlets have been full of stories about workers’ right in the heat, how to stay productive in shockingly air-con deprived offices, and reviews of the best desk fans.
Joey Barge (@jBarge_), a call centre worker found some comfort in wearing shorts to work which were apparently not office dress code and he was sent home to get changed. Little did his employers expect him to return to work in a dress…
What looks better pic.twitter.com/aj7S4sPrtJ
— joey (@jBarge_) June 19, 2017
