CNN’s chief media analyst Brian Stelter tweeted that “fact-check” had become a dirty word. His tweet wasn’t just hyperbole—it was a diagnosis of a profound shift in the battle against fake news and disinformation.
Stelter’s remark followed Meta’s announcement to scrap its once-celebrated fact-checking processes, marking a stark departure from Big Tech’s post-2016 crusade against so-called fake news. But the timing couldn’t be more telling: Donald Trump is gearing up for his second term, and many of his former critics—once staunch opponents of disinformation—are now aligning themselves with him.
Meta’s surprise decision to scrap its fact-checking partnerships – blindsiding journalists involved in the program and putting some out of work – is part of a much bigger shift in media and politics. The 2016 phrase “war on truth” comes to mind…
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 8, 2025
This pivot exposes a troubling reality: Big Tech and the media’s anti-fake-news campaigns were, at best, public relations stunts and, at worst, tools to silence dissent. Billionaires and corporations were never motivated by safeguarding democracy but by consolidating their power. Now, their allegiances are shifting to serve their interests under a new political regime.
Consider Elon Musk, a self-proclaimed Democrat who stunned the world by endorsing Trump and donating $250 million to his campaign. Musk’s support earned him a co-leadership role in Trump’s newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk, who once bought Twitter (rebranded as X) to “protect free speech,” has instead positioned the platform as a propaganda machine for Trump’s presidency. His plan to promote “positive, beautiful content” by tweaking X’s algorithms reveals a chilling strategy: eliminate negativity, not by fostering dialogue, but by silencing dissent.
A Tool of Power, Not Truth
The abandonment of fact-checking by Meta and the rise of Trump-aligned media narratives underscores a grim truth: content moderation was never about fighting disinformation. It has always been about controlling the narrative.
Social media platforms and tech giants act not as neutral arbiters but as tools for those in power. With Trump-friendly billionaires like Kevin O’Leary eyeing platforms like TikTok, the future of content moderation looks less like a fight against fake news and more like a battleground for political influence.
The implications for democracy are dire. Platforms increasingly manipulate what users see, shaping perceptions to suit their agendas. Far from eradicating disinformation, they’ve weaponized it to serve corporate and political goals.
The Failure of the Anti-Fake-News Crusade
The concerns about fake news were and remain valid. Disinformation erodes trust, distorts reality, and weakens democratic systems. But the solutions championed post-2016—entrusting tech billionaires to arbitrate truth—were fundamentally flawed. Instead of dismantling fake news, these efforts empowered a handful of elites to control information flow and expand their global influence.
The trajectory is clear: in 2016, Big Tech platforms were pressured to act against disinformation, minimizing the reach of conservative and progressive outlets alike and banning controversial figures. During the pandemic, misinformation surged, prompting more aggressive moderation. Yet, the response often tilted towards protecting establishment interests rather than fostering a healthy information ecosystem.
When Trump was banned from social media after the January 6 Capitol riots, it marked the apex of tech platforms’ willingness to suppress content in the name of truth. But with Trump’s return to power in 2024, those same companies have flipped the script. Meta, under Mark Zuckerberg, abandoned fact-checking entirely, promising instead to support the administration’s agenda of promoting “civil content.” This is not a pivot toward transparency; it’s an act of self-preservation.
Billionaire Gatekeepers Are Not the Answer
The lesson of the last decade is sobering. Entrusting billionaires and corporations to safeguard truth has not protected democracy—it has endangered it. The very tools designed to combat disinformation have become instruments for amplifying it. In the end, these campaigns were never about truth but about power and profit.
The fight against fake news has left the public disillusioned and skeptical, with democracy more vulnerable to manipulation than ever before. The true antidote to disinformation lies not in the hands of billionaires but in empowering the public through critical media literacy.
The Path Forward: Critical Media Literacy
Critical media literacy equips individuals with the skills to analyze and question information. It’s not about teaching people what to think but how to think critically. In a world where narratives are shaped by the powerful, media literacy is as essential as reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Schools, communities, and families must prioritize teaching media literacy. It’s the only way to build a citizenry capable of navigating the complex information landscape. The alternative—continuing to trust billionaire gatekeepers—only deepens society’s vulnerability to manipulation.
The War on Fake News Backfired
The battle against fake news was meant to safeguard democracy but has instead fortified the systems that threaten it. The solution is not more censorship or reliance on tech giants but a return to the democratic principle of an informed and critically engaged citizenry.
The time for change is now. Only through media literacy can society resist the seductive power of disinformation and reclaim control over the narratives that shape our lives.
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