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Founder of new satire site Double Bay Today says comedy can beat Facebook’s news feed changes

Simon Palan, the founder of four-week-old satire site Double Bay Today, has told Mumbrella he expects comedy pages will better navigate Facebook’s news feed changes than traditional news outlets and brands.

Speaking exclusively to Mumbrella, Palan explained how his “pieces do get a lot of engagement because people tag their friends in it. I think Double Day Today might be able to navigate the changes somewhat.”

Some readers have mistaken the satirical site as a real news outlet

The site, which posted its first article on December 22, was launched by Palan as a solo “passion project”.

“It’s really about humanity and society and the different things we all get tangled up with,” he said.

Although he admits “it may take a hit” in the short term, he adds that “it’s not a serious news report or some niche business talking about the merits of their product, which is not relatable to many people.”

Palan: “Ultimately I see it as a positive”

Despite starting just four weeks ago, Palan said his Facebook page is getting around 100 new page likes every day, with his traffic coming almost exclusively from the social media site.

On the news feed changes, he added: “Ultimately I see it as a positive, I think it was a smart thing to do by Facebook, because it is increasingly becoming a vehicle for advertisers which isn’t good for the long term of the platform.”

Palan was previously a TV news reporter and anchor at ABC Sydney for 10 years, before leaving to start Refine Media, a content marketing agency focusing on branded video production and executive media training.

Unlike rival satire site The Betoota Advocate, Double Bay Today is based on a real area in Sydney’s affluent eastern suburbs.

“Calling it Double Bay Today has helped, because people who see it in this area, they think ‘oh there’s a new publication for Double Bay’.”

Palan admits this has led some followers to confuse the satire site with a real publication, causing them to “unleash their own assessment of how terrible the goings on are” in the comments thread.

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