As fires continue to rage across Los Angeles County, some media outlets and fact-checking organizations liken fact-checkers to first responders fighting conspiracy theory “wildfires.”
CNN on Monday published a report on Meta's decision to discontinue its third-party fact-checking system, criticizing the decision in light of “misinformation” about the wildfires themselves.
The article titled “Soon-to-be-out-of-work meta fact-checkers are battling the scourge of wildfire conspiracy theories,” he said, quoting a journalist who likened fact-checkers to the fire department.
Los Angeles area residents need phone numbers and how to get help.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced last week that the social media company would be shutting down its fact-checking system. (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
The internet is abuzz with NYT headlines about fact checkers who have ruled that their meta-criticisms are “wrong'' and “beyond parody.''
“Rumors and speculation about the disaster began to swirl around the internet like embers, eventually culminating in a vast explosion of conspiracy theories,” the article said.
Alan Duke, a former CNN journalist who co-founded the Meta-funded fact-checking show, added: “Removing fact-checkers from social platforms is like disbanding a fire brigade.” .
Other sites used similar language, likening fact checkers to firefighters fighting wildfires as news about the Los Angeles fires continued to evolve.
Hours before the wildfire broke out on January 7th, Full Fact CEO Chris MorrisThe company, which had a relationship with Facebook, expressed disappointment in using the term “first responders” to describe fact checkers.
Some fact-checkers and media commentators likened conspiracy theories to “wildfires” and fact-checkers to “first responders.” (Jae C. Hong/AP)
“From protecting elections to protecting public health to eliminating potential fear on the streets, fact checkers are first responders in the information environment,” the statement said. “Our experts are trained to work in a way that promotes reliable evidence and prioritizes tackling harmful information. We believe the public has the right to access our expertise. I believe there is.”
on sunday, forbes report He condemned Mehta's decision as an “ominous signal” and compared the spread of conspiracy theories to “wildfire”.
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“This is not just a corporate decision, it's part of a social crisis,” the Forbes article said. “As conspiracy theories spread like wildfire and trust in institutions is at an all-time low, one of the most powerful companies on the planet is stepping back from its responsibility to combat misinformation. .”
A former CNN journalist argued that removing fact checkers is like disbanding a fire department. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
In a video posted to Facebook on January 7, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company's content moderation practices had gone “overreach” since it was founded in 2016. I admitted it.
“We're going back to basics and focused on reducing mistakes, simplifying policies, and restoring freedom of expression on our platform,” Zuckerberg said. “More specifically, we plan to remove fact checkers from the US and replace them with community notes similar to X.”
Zuckerberg described his decision as a way to promote “free expression” online, but many liberal commentators called the idea of eliminating fact-checkers “incredibly dangerous.” attacked.
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