Facebook used its News Innovation Test program to support Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s election campaign in the recent federal elections in Canada. In July 2021, Facebook signed a support agreement with Canadian media companies Black Press Media and Glacier Media and with national newspaper The Globe and Mail.
Facebook distributed a total of $8 million among 14 Canadian outlets that participated in the program.
In Argentina in August 2021, Facebook signed an agreement with more than 150 national and local circulation newspapers, supposedly to guarantee that Argentine President Alberto Fernández could not spread “false news” during the local and legislative elections. Facebook gave $1.5 million to its Argentine media partners.
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In Brazil, Facebook signed another agreement, in September 2021, with a score of major media outlets that oppose President Jair Bolsonaro. Facebook affirms that its objective is to fight fake news and promote the dissemination of “quality” information during the electoral campaign prior to the upcoming presidential election in Brazil. Mark Zuckerberg’s social media network has allocated $2.6 million to those who have been chosen as “partners” in Brazil.
Over the past few years, Facebook has allocated more than $600 million for the training of journalists and the funding of media outlets around the world, and it now plans to devote another $1 billion for that purpose.
Featured image: In recent years, Facebook has allocated more than $600 million for training journalists and financing media. File photo
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/GMS/SC
