New Frontiers in Fake News Fight
 |
| "You're fake news" - Donald Trump to CNN at first press conference as President Elect - img: CBS |
They work via the tried and tested system of user flagging. Users of the site will have to highlight any story they consider to be false - that is, to contain fabricated facts. Flagged stories will then be passed on to a team of third-party fact checkers. If they also deem the facts underlying the story to be made-up, they will label the story "disputed" in its future appearances on our newsfeeds.
Fake news has long been an issue for social media companies. In September, Facebook and Twitter joined the huge, Alphabet-led 'First Draft' coalition which aims to tackle the proliferation of fake facts and whose other members include the Washington Post, CNN, Buzzfeed, the Telegraph and the New York Times. However, worries turned into a crisis after the shock win for Donald Trump in the US Presidential Election in early November. Later that month, after two weeks and an initial "meh" from Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook announced a seven-point plan for upcoming strategies for a fake news crackdown.
The latest move is a crucial step in consolidating Facebook's initial response to the crisis, which sought to ameliorate its primary concern at the time of muffling the outcry, calming investors and making sure users didn't eschew social media. It's now time to follow-through on some of the promises it made. Indeed, it's also a clever compromise in some ways. By putting the onus of rooting-out fake news onto users rather than its own admins, for example, Facebook will be able to dodge a certain degree of responsibility when it is (inevitably) asked why they haven't erased every shred of non-fact-checked information on the site.
On that point, it's also worth noting just how hard it is to crack down on fake news. Limited resources alone make any fact-checking organisation limited in its capacity to filter information. Indeed, when it was announced last week that the BBC would also be expanding its existing fact-checking service, news chief James Harding asserted that: 'The BBC can’t edit the internet, but we won’t stand aside either. We will fact check the most popular outliers on Facebook, Instagram and other social media.'
But practical concerns are only part of the problem. Many, for example, regard with anxiety the idea of handing a huge corporation like Facebook the power to censor news items. Still, regardless whether Facebook's fix carries bad implications for democracy and public information, the rolling-out of fake news prevention tools, whilst ultimately flawed, is the best way forwards for Facebook as a company hoping to weather the storm of controversy which, as is elucidated by Donald Trump's ongoing commentary and the upcoming grilling faced by social media companies before British MPs, still remains very much a part of the public consciousness.
James has a Bachelor’s degree in History and wrote his dissertation on beef and protest. His heroes list ranges from Adele to Noam Chomsky: inspirations he’ll be invoking next year when he begins a Master’s degree in London. Follow him @Songbird_James
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
New Frontiers in Fake News Fight
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.