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Snapchat reportedly drops Local Stories for cities

It's focusing on videos from special events instead.

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For a while, Snapchat has run Local Stories, or daily summaries of what's happening in your city based on videos from users in the area. However, you may have to go without them before long. Bloomberg sources understand that Snapchat is dropping the feature and shifting its focus to "live moments" and special events, such as holidays or major sporting matches. Reportedly, Local Stories just weren't that popular -- Snapchat is more interested in deals for video series and other content that bolsters its bottom line.

Snapchat tells us only that it cut a "small number" of jobs (Bloomberg says 15) in Los Angeles and New York City due to "changes to our Local Story coverage." You can read the full statement below. Having said this, it makes sense that the company would focus more on special occasions. The social service has to show that it has a viable business model if it's going to attract investors to an eventual public stock offering, and that means cutting features that cost money but don't either attract more users or rake in additional cash. Unfortunately, that means losing some of Snapchat's local flavor.