For all that its worth, Rappler is reporting that Facebook has partnered with the online news source as well as Vera Files to fact-check news on the Internet. (There is no announcement thus far coming directly from FB).
Of course Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and Vera Files stakeholder Ellen Tordesillas would be quick to include this in their “credentials.”
Ironically, wasn’t Ressa critical of Facebook at one point, even proclaiming to the world that it’s time “to take back the Internet,” as if she owned it?
If indeed, the Facebook ‘partnership’ — whatever that means — is true, it behooves upon both Rappler and Vera Files to quickly decline this bedroom relationship. It’s pure and simple conflict of interest.
Rappler which insists that it is a legitimate news media is not exempt from being fact-checked. Rappler itself has been a source of fake or inaccurate news. Remember when Rapplerette Pia Ranada reported that Nikki Prieto-Teodoro was going to appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the new DSWD Chief?
Vera Files, on the other hand, is a group of journalists who are also connected with the news media. Tordesillas is a columnist of Malaya and has gone public many times about her disdain for Duterte. At one Senate hearing, she accused Duterte of being the No. 1 source of fake news.
At best, the FB-Rappler-Vera Files ‘partnership’ is self-serving for the local groups and could eventually come back to haunt FB.
Who’s going to fact-check the fact-checkers?
It’s unclear what this ‘partnership’ will look like, or if there is compensation involved for Rappler and Vera Files.
Regardless, Rappler and Vera Files should do the right thing: decline this partnership. And someone should whisper into Mark Zuckerberg’s ear about the credentials of these two Philippine groups.
Politikal Pinoy 