Facebook Announces 'Journalism Project' For Stronger Media Ties

Facebook has been resisting for months to be called a media company and then recently, Mark Zuckerberg decided that maybe his social media company was one, but not in a traditional sense. Now, Facebook is launching what it calls the “Journalism Project,” which aims to improve its relationship with the media.

According to Facebook’s post on the matter, the project has three things that will be implemented with regards to improving relations with journalists. They will include the introduction of new formats, tools, and training.

“We will be collaborating with news organizations to develop products, learning from journalists about ways we can be a better partner, and working with publishers and educators on how we can equip people with the knowledge they need to be informed readers in the digital age,” the post reads.

The move is meant to ensure that high-quality news will become the priority of Facebook, which is a clear reaction to all the criticisms that the company has been receiving with regards to the proliferation of fake news. The social media site had previously promised to do something about fake content and hate speech, and it seems it is finally coming through on its promises.

More than anything else, however, the project is to ensure that there will be a more streamlined means of content delivery from credible news sources in the future. This will involve a lot of interaction with Facebook and news publications, which is something that the social media site has been averse to doing in the past.

In addition, it would seem that the company is also looking into gathering data on what its users want by conducting what it calls a "listening tour" involving its global audience, Forbes reports. Facebook is set to work with several outside parties in order to make the project a success.