Why is Facebook abandoning fact-checking?
France TV Washington, a French-language news service, turned to a University of Cincinnati journalism professor to examine Facebook's announced decision to abandon fact-checking in public posts in favor of community notes similar to those used by the social media site X.
UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Jeffrey Blevins is co-author of the 2024 book “Social Media and Digital Politics: Networked Reason in an Age of Digital Emotion.”
Blevins said the change is likely a response to last year's election of Donald Trump, who has threatened to jail journalists who will not disclose confidential sources and to strip broadcasting licenses from TV and radio news stations he deems critical of his administration.
“Trump has often said there will be retaliation for his political opponents, including within the judicial system. His message is clear. He does not want to be fact-checked,“ Blevins told France TV.
Blevins said Facebook's policy has changed dramatically from its stance in 2021 when widespread misinformation about the 2020 election on social media was blamed in part on the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“This is a 180-degree change in policy since Jan. 6, 2021, when the nation and the world witnessed the kind of damage that mis- and disinformation can cause,“ Blevins said. “In the aftermath of Jan. 6, social media platforms made a more concerted effort to self-regulate this kind of content. I seriously doubt Meta would have made this decision if Trump had not been elected.“
Featured image at top: UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Jeffrey Blevins teaches in UC's Department of Journalism and the School of Public and International Affairs. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Latest UC News
- Tips to reduce alcohol useThe University of Cincinnati's Chris Tuell was featured in a Fox News article discussing tips on how to reduce alcohol use following the recent Surgeon General's advisory about alcohol use and cancer risk.
- UC inventor recognized for lifetime of innovationUC College of Engineering and Applied Science Professor Ephraim Gutmark is being honored for a lifetime of innovation by the National Academy of Inventors. For one of his latest projects, Gutmark teamed up with his physician daughter at Cincinnati Children's to help children with breathing difficulties.
- Primary care systems are under pressure, but new models could alleviate the strainPatient access is just one of a host of issues facing the primary care discipline. The workforce is not growing fast enough to meet the needs of the U.S. population, and the country continues to underinvest in primary care, according to the nonprofit Milbank Memorial Fund’s 2024 scorecard on the health of primary care in the U.S. Yet primary care is essential to good health, Barbara Tobias, MD, professor emerita in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine recently told Crain's Cleveland Business.
- Study finds microRNA target to combat breast cancer treatment resistanceMSN highlighted new University of Cincinnati Cancer Center research that has identified a particular strand of microRNA as a promising new target for overcoming breast cancer treatment resistance and improving outcomes.
- UC’s Taft Research Center offers new public humanities seminarsThis spring, the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center will offer two hands-on, credit-bearing research courses designed for students to read, think and work collaboratively across the humanities and social sciences.
- Lindner announces two new professional programsThe Carl H. Lindner College of Business has launched two new courses available through Lindner Professional Programs’ open enrollment offerings. Women Lead: Nurturing Your Leadership Power and HR Analytics: Driving Impact with Data are available to professionals seeking to advance their careers through immersive learning experiences.
