As Meta pulls back on censorship on its platforms, Channel 4 reminds people that its own news is in fact, fact checked.
Channel 4 hits out at Meta censorship news
In response to the news this week that Meta would remove independent fact checkers from Facebook and Instagram, Channel 4 has taken aim at the social giant with a guerrilla ad outside its London HQ.
The UK news broadcaster parked a van in front of the Meta offices running a single digital billboard with the copy: ‘We fact check the Zuck out of our news’. Channel 4 will also run the ad as a print campaign and run it on its Meta-owned channels.
In a video posted to Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta-owned platforms would now use community notes, similar to X, where users verify the accuracy of information. The Meta chief exec also revealed that moderation capability would be moved from California to Texas, “where there is less concern about the bias of our teams”, he said.
Channel4 chief marketing officer, Katie Jackson, said: “Fan of facts? Us too. And right now, trust is more important than ever. Truth builds trust - and for our viewers, for our brand, for our advertisers and for our people - we think that’s worth reminding you of.”
Channel 4’s in-house creative team, 4Creative, along with its marketing developed the idea. Then the out of home media owner Talon and media agency OMD UK worked with Channel 4 to get the advert dispatched in the wake of the news breaking.