[justinrstout]

This feels like a natural extension of stories, where previously it was a sequence of short videos shot by your friends, now it's a sequence of slightly longer videos shot by a professional news organization. So in the short term I'm sure it will draw in more eyeballs to watch more ads, but long term it seems like it does nothing to bridge the gap between the traditional "social" functions of Snapchat with the news content delivery aspect; they almost feel like two separate apps.

As for the show itself, it's ok. It's a really quick flyover of the daily headlines; reminded me a lot of a radio news headline briefing you might hear on NPR or similar, just with video added. I think it's unfair to hate on it because it's "too short, too high-level, too vapid, etc.". Of course it's not hard-hitting original in-depth journalism but it's a convenient way to get the headlines quickly, on-demand, anywhere, without waiting for a dedicated TV or radio program. Especially in these days of heightened political interest, it's hard to argue that it's better for someone to remain completely ignorant of U.S. and world affairs rather than consume news in a format that may not be the most detailed or the most interesting to you personally.

Side rant: I can't help but feel personally offended whenever I read an article or comment that assumes I have a "low attention span" just because I'm a Snapchatting millennial. The variety of social backgrounds encompassed by the term "millennial" is so broad that blanket insults like "low attention span" border on outright ageism.

[ikeyany]

You make a good point. Low attention spans aren't a millennial thing--it's a human nature thing. Snapchat and facebook may benefit from this phenomenon the most, but HN does too.

[goldfeld]

It's not nature, it's in society and it's a bit like a plague numbing it down to real feelings and deeper thoughts.