UPDATED 23:39 EDT / JUNE 06 2018

APPS

Facebook teams up with major US news media to tackle fake-news problem

Facebook Inc. is taking steps to diminish the criticism it has faced over the proliferation of “fake news” appearing in its news feed. The solution? Create your own news and do it with some of the largest news organizations in the U.S.

The company is joining with some of the biggest names in America news media, albeit services whose accuracy and objectivity has come into question at times. A handful of news media will partner with Facebook, the three most well-known names CNN, Fox and ABC News, though some observers have their doubts:

In any case, Facebook said in a blog post today, “As a part of that commitment, we are creating a dedicated section within Watch for news shows produced exclusively for Facebook by news publishers. With this effort, we are testing a destination for high quality and timely news content on the platform. Today we are announcing the first slate of these funded news shows for Facebook Watch.”

These first shows will both be local news and national news, hosted no less, by “award-winning journalists.” Funded by Facebook, the shows will cover whatever is breaking, the big news of the day and some feature-length news.

There will also be a running series of shows including Advance Local’s “Chasing Corruption,” which investigates corruption in America. There will be a spotlight on immigrants in the U.S. with Univision’s “Real America with Jorge Ramos” and Mic’s “Mic Dispatch,” which will explore deeper issues in American society.

The project head is former CNN host and NBC reporter Campbell Brown. “The goal was to begin to experiment with new formats and new ways to engage with an audience that is unique to Facebook,” Brown said in an interview with CNN Money.

She added that these partnerships should restore the public’s faith in Facebook. Brown is referring to the platform being called a nexus of lies from all sides of the political debate, and a cesspool of propaganda – notably concocted by the Kremlin to divide further the already divided American public.

“We have pushed intensely over the last six months to emphasize quality over quantity — down-ranking click bait, down-ranking sensationalism,” said Brown. “This is another investment in quality news on Facebook.”

It’s said that Facebook is paying some of these news organizations hefty sums of money for a trial years’ worth of content. In return, they take advantage of Facebook’s 185 million daily active users.

Image: roger alcantara via Flickr

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