Searching for smart, safe news you can TRUST?
Support safe, smart, REAL journalism. Sign up for our Axios AM & PM newsletters and get smarter, faster.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Alessio Jacona / Flickr cc
Facebook is teaming up with several along with several journalism foundations and internet tech companies in an effort to improve online news literacy and increase trust in journalism. The News Integrity Initiative, a $14 million investment run by the CUNY's Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism, will fund research and projects and convene meetings with industry experts. Besides Facebook, other funders include Mozilla, AppNexus, Betaworks, the Craig Newmark Philanthropic Fund, the Ford Foundation, the Democracy Fund, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Tow Foundation.
Why it matters: Since its fake news saga during the election, Facebook has taken numerous steps to prove it's serious about promoting good journalism. In taking these steps, Zuckerberg is positioning his tech company to become a global social infrastructure organization, a vision he laid out in a sweeping manifesto last month.
What's next: The Initiative has already signed on 19 contributing groups, ranging from PR firms Edelman and Weber Shandwick to schools like Arizona State University, that will host events around the world to promote news literacy. The initiative also aims to find additional funders and participants as it grows internationally.