Why it makes sense for Twitter to take on Snapchat Discover

Facebook may not be the only competitor Snap needs to worry about.

Twitter is reportedly working on a new Snapchat Discover-like feature that emphasizes photos and videos tied to specific events, according to CNBC.

The news follows an earlier report from Bloomberg that Twitter was working on a Snapchat-like camera feature.

Details are scarce, and CNBC notes that the feature may never end up seeing the light of day, but the "camera first feature" is apparently meant to encourage people to share more photos and videos associated with news that often breaks via Twitter.

Such a feature would directly compete with elements of Snapchat Discover, as well as Snap Maps — both of which curate Stories-based current events. A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment on the report, but it's not surprising Twitter would want to build such a feature.

Increasingly, Snapchat has become a go-to source to get a first-person view of breaking news. Time and time again, the best place to get a raw, unfiltered look at what's happening during a major event like the Olympics — or, more tragically, during a news event like a natural disaster or a mass shooting — is not Twitter but Snapchat.

If you're Twitter, which prides itself on being the platform for "what's happening," this is a worrying trend. The company wants to ensure that their platform stays top of mind when news happens. Incorporating a way for users to more easily share photos and videos — which can then be pulled into Moments or other features that highlight breaking news — would make a lot of sense.

Whether or not it would have any measurable impact on Snapchat is another matter. But it's a good way to ensure that Twitter retains its reputation as a go-to source for news.