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Some media outlets and fact-checking organizations have compared fact-checkers to first responders battling a “wildfire” of conspiracy theories as fires continue throughout Los Angeles County.
On Monday, CNN published a report on Meta eliminating its third-party fact-checking system where it criticized the decision in light of “misinformation” about the wildfires themselves.
The article, titled “Soon to be out of a job, Meta’s fact-checkers battle a blaze of wildfire conspiracy theories,” quoted a journalist who compared fact-checkers to fire departments.
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced last week that the social media company would be ending its fact-checking system. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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“Rumor and speculation about the disaster began to swirl online like glowing embers, before eventually becoming a wild blaze of vast conspiracy theories,” the article read.
Former CNN journalist Alan Duke, who co-founded a fact-checking outlet funded by Meta, added, “Cutting fact-checkers from social platforms is like disbanding your fire department.”
Other sites used similar language, likening fact-checkers to firefighters battling wildfires while news about the Los Angeles fires continued developing.
Hours before the wildfires broke out on Jan. 7, Full Fact CEO Chris Morris, whose company was associated with Facebook, used the term “first responders” to describe fact-checkers while expressing his disappointment.
Some fact-checkers and media commentators likened conspiracy theories to “wildfires” and fact-checkers to “first responders.” (Jae C. Hong/AP)
“From safeguarding elections to protecting public health to dissipating potential unrest on the streets, fact-checkers are first responders in the information environment,” the statement said. “Our specialists are trained to work in a way that promotes credible evidence and prioritises tackling harmful information – we believe the public has a right to access our expertise.”
On Sunday, a Forbes report compared the growth of conspiracy theories to “wildfire” when denouncing Meta’s decision as an “ominous signal.”
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“It’s not just a corporate decision — it’s part of a societal crisis,” the Forbes article read. “At a time when conspiracy theories are spreading 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 fight misinformation.”
A former CNN journalist claimed eliminating fact-checkers was like disbanding a fire department. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
In a video posted to Facebook on Jan. 7, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted the company’s content moderation practices had “gone too far” since they were established in 2016.
“We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg said. “More specifically, we’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with Community Notes similar to X, starting in the U.S.”
Though Zuckerberg explained his decision as a way to promote “free expression” online, many liberal commentators attacked the idea of getting rid of fact-checkers as “incredibly dangerous.”
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