Facebook to prioritise ‘trustworthy’ news based on surveys

Facebook Inc. logos are displayed on computer screens in Tiskilwa, Illinois, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011. Facebook is expanding its Places Deals service to five European countries, offering users of the biggest social-media website discounts when they are near food shops and other retailers. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc will prioritise "trustworthy" news in its feed of social media posts, using member surveys to identify high-quality outlets and fight sensationalism and misinformation, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Jan 19. 

The company, which has more than 2 billion monthly users, said its members, not experts or Facebook executives, would determine how news outlets rank in terms of trustworthiness. It also said it would put an emphasis on local news sources.