Fox News: Axing fact-checkers 'like disbanding your fire department,' former CNN journo complains amid LA wildfires

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Axing fact-checkers 'like disbanding your fire department,' former CNN journo complains amid LA wildfires

Some commentators compared fact-checkers to "fire departments" and "first responders" while wildfires continued to spread throughout Los Angeles County.......                    ...                        ...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 You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login where it criticized the decision in light of "misinformation" about the wildfires themselves.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login "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.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"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, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, whose company was associated with Facebook, used the term "first responders" to describe fact-checkers while expressing his disappointment......."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, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login compared the growth of conspiracy theories to "wildfire" when denouncing Meta's decision as an "ominous signal."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"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."......In a video posted to Facebook on Jan. 7, Meta CEO You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login 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, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login attacked the idea of getting rid of fact-checkers as "incredibly dangerous."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login...

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