Fact-Checkers Brace for Job Cuts as Meta Stops Funding

Mark Zuckerberg's decision to end fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram in the US has fact-checking journalists worried. Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has been funding fact-checking organizations for years. These groups check the accuracy of posts and can reduce the reach of false information. Major news outlets like USA Today and Reuters, along with fact-checking sites like FactCheck. org, have been working with Meta. Now, with funding cuts, these organizations might have to let some staff go. Lead Stories, one of Meta's partners, confirmed they'll need to reduce their team size. Jesse Stiller from Check Your Fact says they're shocked and uncertain about the future. PolitiFact, another partner, expects financial impact too. Even big news agencies like Agence France-Presse (AFP) are feeling the hit. This is a big change from Meta's 2022 boast about their large fact-checking network. The partner organizations insist their work isn't biased. While these groups will continue fact-checking, the loss of Meta's funding is a significant challenge. It's unclear if other media companies can fill this gap, especially when fact-checking and journalism are under threat. Lead Stories and PolitiFact plan to keep going, but the road ahead is tough. The future of this type of journalism is uncertain.