Facebook has brought on former TV journalist Campbell Brown to helm its news partnerships team.
The CNN veteran explained in a Facebook post that she will be "tapping [her] newsroom experience to help news organizations and journalists work more closely and more effectively with Facebook."
While a growing number of people rely on social media for their news, Facebook has tinkered with its News Feed algorithm, resulting in grumbling among publishers and brands rankled by what they see as a lack of transparency.
"I will be working directly with our partners to help them understand how Facebook can expand the reach of their journalism and contribute value to their businesses," Brown wrote. "That also means making sure there is ongoing feedback from publishers as Facebook develops new products and tools for news organizations."
Facebook has been dragged over the coals for not cracking down on the spread of fake news on its platform more quickly. BuzzFeed found in mid-November that election year fake news stories outperformed actual news pieces by a wide margin.
After defending its decision-making process, Facebook’s leadership had a change of heart and launched initiatives to combat the spread of fake news.
"Right now,we are watching a massive transformation take place in the news business — both in the way people consume news and in the way reporters disseminate news,’ Brown wrote. "Facebook is a major part of this transformation. This change comes with enormous challenges for journalists but also with great opportunities."
Last year, Brown launched The Seventy Four, an education news site named for the 74 million children in the U.S. She previously founded the Parents’ Transparency Project, a nonprofit serving as a watchdog of the public education system. Brown has worked at CNN and NBC News, and has written for several publications such as The New York Times and The Daily Beast, according to her website bio.
