The BBC is promising to counter so-called fake news through its Reality Check assessments.
Reality Check was launched in early 2016 as a fact-checking service during the UK’s EU referendum and will now have an expanded, permanent team dedicated to creating content which examines the facts and claims behind a story to determine whether or not it is true. The feature will run in a variety of formats across TV, radio and online.
Jim Egan, CEO for BBC Global News Ltd, said: “The BBC has been in the business of accurate, independent and impartial news for more than 90 years. In a ‘post-truth’ world we believe our mission is as important as ever. Building on last year’s success we have a series of appointments, investments and initiatives planned for 2017 to help audiences follow and make sense of this year’s momentous news events around the world.”
BBC.com reported a ‘record-breaking’ 2016 with 98 million unique browsers visiting the various news sites.
Friday 24th June – the day of the UK’s European Union referendum result was the site’s busiest single day, with 114 million page views and 21 million unique browsers.
The result of the US Presidential election generated the second highest figure, followed by the terrorist attacks in Nice and Brussels.