Can the news be social again?

A startup news app called Newsreel is rolling out social features that are "designed to counter algorithm-driven feeds and rebuild authentic connection around journalist-written news stories." Sounds promising, right?

Journalist Jack Brewster, Newsreel's founder and CEO, bills it as "a new way to be social about the news." 

The app soft-launched earlier this year with swipeable stories, polls, "points" for reading, and other interactive aspects. Some colleges and libraries are already paying for access for students/patrons. With the new social features, users can form circles of trust, nudge friends to read certain stories, comment on stories and give "hat tips" to others. The app is now available in the App Store and on Google Play.

 >> The idea, Brewster says, is to "help people socialize with substance." The big unknown: Do a sufficient number of people want to do that?