Pinoy journos launch Fakeblok to help rid social media of fake news

SCREENGRAB FROM CHROME WEB STORE

Filipino journalists have found a way to address the spread of misinformation online in an era of fake news.

“Over the past months, unverified posts on social media have been intentionally spreading misinformation. Even state-run news agencies have come up with, shared, and legitimized fake news,” the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines said in a statement on Monday.

State-run Philippine News Agency recently received heavy criticisms after posting an unverified content twice. They have already apologized for these incidents.

The Fakeblok fake news blocker is a Chrome plug-in that would sanitize your Facebook newsfeed from fake news sites.

“Filipino journalists have been working together to come up with a list of sites that tend to share fake news – and a tool that would make this helpful to the public,” the NUJP said.

Netizens are also welcome to participate by submitting sites that they think are fake news, which will be scrutinized by independent Filipino journalists. Once verified, it will be added to the Fakeblok’s list of fake news sites.

“We cannot believe everything that we read. We need to constantly question. We need to reclaim the truth. We need to reclaim our newsfeeds,” the NUJP also said.

According to the Chrome Web Store, the Fakeblok project is a collaboration between the NUJP and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. Frances Mangosing/JE