Fake news has been a major issue for Facebook. Indeed, it has been one of the biggest problems that the social networking platform ever found itself face to face with in its rather illustrious career. The company has been working upon a slew of methods to counter this very issue and towards the same, has promoted Alex Hardiman to the post of head of news products.
Hardiman is a veteran of the field. She hails from the New York Times and joined the company last year. In her role at the Times, Hardiman was leading the division handling mobile and news products — for instance, Time’s mobile news application. Facebook was also looking for someone who had both the editorial and technical expertise required and Hardiman fit the bill.
She will now be working alongside publishers. In her new role, Hardiman will be developing new products like Instant Articles while also attempting to prevent fake news from spreading through the platform. Hardiman will be working out of Facebook’s New York office. She will report to Fidji Simo, Facebook’s VP in charge of news and video.
Speaking on the topic through a Facebook post, she said:
I will work collaboratively with news organizations across the spectrum to build new storytelling formats, local news communities, monetization options, and more. We will spend time building better products and tools for journalists, working hand-in-hand with Campbell Brown and her team to strengthen the relationships and value exchange between Facebook and news providers. We will also partner with teams in Facebook to continue curbing the spread of false news.
Facebook has been plagued with fake news of late. Indeed, after rumors that fake news could have had a hand in influencing Donald Trump’s election as the US President, European countries took a very tough stance on the matter and threatened the company with huge fines if it did not solve the issue. Hiring a former New York Timer to ensure that the news doing the rounds of the platform is accurate, is pretty smart.
