It will also work more closely with news organizations
via Twitter
In December, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg came to grips with the fact his social media monster had a hand in influencing the 2016 election. After previously shrugging off Facebook’s role in disseminating fake news, Zuckerberg decided to step up and do something about it. “Facebook is a new kind of platform different from anything before it,” Zuckerberg said in a statement. “I think of Facebook as a technology company, but I recognize we have a greater responsibility than just building technology that information flows through.”
The social media giant started last month by announcing a new program that identifies fake news stories as well as new efforts to disrupt the financial incentives for spammers. Wednesday, the company took things a step further by introducing the Facebook Journalism Project. “We know that our community values sharing and discussing ideas and news, and as a part of our service, we care a great deal about making sure that a healthy news ecosystem and journalism can thrive,” said Fidji Simo, a director of product at Facebook. “That’s why today we’re announcing a new program to establish stronger ties between Facebook and the news industry.”
This three-pronged approach involves creating partnerships with media outlets and collaborating on new publishing tools. For journalists, Facebook will develop programs that help them search the site for information on news and events. Finally, the company will educate its users on how to find trustworthy news organizations and promote news literacy to the general public.
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