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Initiative to tackle fake news launched

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WASHINGTON: An alliance of tech industry and academic organisations unveiled plans yesterday to work together to combat the spread of "fake news" and improve public understanding of journalism.

The News Integrity Initiative will launch with $14 million - from Facebook, the Ford Foundation, Mozilla and others - and be based at the City University of New York's journalism school, which will coordinate research, projects and events.

"We want to bring the conversation past just talking about media and to bring the public in," said Mr Jeff Jarvis, who heads the university's Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism.

"We want to go beyond the fake news discussion and get to what I hope is a flight to quality."

Fake news became a serious issue in the US election campaign, when clearly fraudulent stories circulated on social media, potentially swaying some voters.

Concerns about hoaxes and misinformation affecting elections in Europe were then raised, with investigations showing how "click farms" generate revenue from online advertising using made-up news stories.

Facebook and Google have stepped up efforts to root out misinformation, Mr Jarvis said, adding that helping the public understand the difference between fraudulent news and serious journalism will constitute an important element. - AFP

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