Meta’s decision last week to dismantle its fact checking processes will largely go unnoticed.
But it should be raising serious alarm bells, particularly as it apparently comes at the behest of incoming US President Donald Trump, whose long-term disdain for traditional media outlets is self-serving and dangerous.
The last time he occupied the White House Trump moved immediately to discredit and demean the media, coining the phrase ‘fake news’ when any unwanted scrutiny came his way.
That allowed him to pedal his own version of reality and in the process become the greatest pedaller of ‘fake news’.
When his rhetoric and decision-making was scrutinised – a big part in the role of the media of holding the powerful to account for centuries – his tactic was to attack the messenger.
He and his supporters would argue it was upholding a right to ‘free speech’.
There’s a big difference between free speech and deliberate misinformation and disinformation.
Countries where the media is dismantled or discredited are usually considered dictatorships, with the leadership is beyond reproach.
To encourage big tech mates to allow the unfretted distribution of propaganda is outrageous.
Over here, our government is looking to rein in the influence of big tech on our society by introducing social media age limits.
The need for independent, unbiased and reliable dissemination of information has never been greater. It’s just a shame we can’t rely on the big tech companies to provide that.
So where do you find a company that has covered the news accurately and unbiased without fear or favour for more than a century? I wonder?
– Group Editor, Garry Howe
