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Facebook is reportedly developing a breaking news app.
The product (image below) will let Facebook users choose publications and topics to follow and receive alerts about, according to Business Insider. Participating companies create 100-character mobile notifications that are sent to participating users, who can click on the attached URL to visit a news article on the publication's website.
Only a few companies were chosen by Facebook to pilot the app, Business Insider said, adding that the program is still in alpha testing. Facebook declined to comment on the rumors.
Facebook breaking new notifications
Rival Twitter already allows users to receive push notifications from specific feeds. And if you opt in, you can receive alerts about who to follow or things your friends are discussing. 
In July, the Pew Research Center suggested that more than 60 percent of Web users get news from Twitter and Facebook.
The finding comes as both sites increase their emphasis on news—Facebook with Instant Articles and the new "Trending" sidebar. Still, Pew calculated that only 31 percent of participants consider Facebook a source of breaking news, compared to 59 percent following Twitter.
No stranger to the media, Facebook in April 2014 launched FB Newswire—a service that automatically collects the most important, most talked-about stories on the site, then hands them out to newsrooms and journalists.
On the flip side of business, the company this week announced an expansion of ad types and formats available in the Audience Network. By upgrading to the latest SDK for iOS and Android, and using the new MediaView, publishers can now bring Facebook's autoplay video ads directly to their apps. Plus, those already using Audience Network's full-screen interstitials will gain access to dynamic product ads, carousel ads, and click-to-play video.