Facebook launches features to support journalists

Facebook provides training and tools for journalists and is committed to helping journalists stay safe on its platforms.

In consultation with the European Journalism Centre, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Federal Press Association of America and the James W. Foley Heritage Foundation, Facebook has created resources specifically designed for journalists to help them protect their accounts and themselves on Facebook.

Facebook steps up efforts to protect journalists' accounts and themselves.

A dedicated page for journalists that provides information on topics related to online safety such as how to enable two-factor authentication, manage privacy settings, moderate comments, block harassment, control sharing locations, support media protection, report abuse and impersonation, and respond to attacks.

Facebook also created a Facebook Safety for Journalists Guide covering a variety of topics in several languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

On the site, journalists will find instructional videos focused on best practices for staying safe on Facebook, produced in partnership with the European Journalism Centre.

“For 25 years, the European Journalism Centre has been training and protecting journalists around the world. As one of the world’s largest social media platforms, Facebook plays a central role in hosting and spreading news,” said Adam Thomas, Director of the European Journalism Centre.

Since the beginning of this year, during the Facebook Journalism Project’s News Days events around the world, the company has been sharing information designed to help people stay safe on Facebook. For the first time, Facebook has also hosted a series of research roundtables for journalists and social media managers to discuss their experiences with online harassment, with one session specifically for women journalists.

“This is just the beginning. Facebook is committed to helping journalists feel safe on Facebook while connecting with audiences through meaningful stories. We will continue to work on this important work and share more in the coming months,” a Facebook source said.

According to ICT News