NewsPicks CEO: Humans, Not Algorithms, Pick Content to Counter Fake News
*By Michael Teich*
At a time when misinformation floods digital news platforms, and internet trolls take over comment sections, online news platform NewsPicks is turning to high-profile curators for quality content.
Curation led by trusted sources increases the "chance of bringing in the best content that's obviously not fake," said CEO Ian Myers.
The growing need to purge tech sites of potentially problematic content was highlighted most recently by Twitter which, [according to the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/07/06/twitter-is-sweeping-out-fake-accounts-like-never-before-putting-user-growth-risk/), suspended 70 million fake accounts over the last two months and was banning more than a million accounts a day.
Fears that such a culling would cut into user growth sent shares of Twitter reeling Monday, though the stock was about to pare losses after CFO Ned Segal [tweeted](https://twitter.com/nedsegal/status/1016371745933033472) that such accounts were not counted in the company's metrics.
Still, the way news is digested and delivered is undergoing a period of disruption, and tech companies such as Apple, Google, and Facebook are looking to seize the market. But the aggregation by Silicon Valley natives lacks originality, Myers told Cheddar.
“It’s commodity news. Doesn’t matter where you get it. It’s just where you click first.”
NewsPicks is owned by a Japanese media company that also acquired Quartz last week for up to $110 million.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/newspicks-ceos-key-to-winning-digital-news-quality-over-quantity)
Jill and Carlo discuss what appears to be the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade, another victim dies following the school shooting in Michigan, Omicron in the U.S., Trump's Covid chronology and more.
Jack Dorsey has stepped down as CEO of Twitter, saying he believes the social media platform is "ready to move on from its founders". The move has many wondering where Dorsey will focus his attention next, as he is still CEO of his financial payments company Square, which is heavily involved in cryptocurrency. Doug Astrop, managing partner at Exponential Investment Partners, joined Cheddar to discuss what Dorsey's resignation means for tech investors, particularly within the crypto space.
Astra founder, chairman, and CEO Chris Kemp spoke to Cheddar's Kristen Scholer about his company's first successful launch into orbit last month, becoming the fastest space company to reach orbit using a privately developed liquid-fueled rocket. He also noted that the company's priority is to "improve life on Earth from space" by rapidly increasing the number of low-orbiting satellites to do everything from connecting people to monitoring weather patterns.
Once again, YouTube is releasing its annual list of the top trending videos and music videos that had people in the U.S. talking. Madeline Buxton, trends expert for YouTube joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Stocks closed at session lows Wednesday as investors grew skittish over the first reported case of the COVID-19 omicron variant in California. Josh Sailar, Partner at Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss investor worry over the new variant, the Fed dropping the word 'transitory' to describe inflation and potentially speeding up their asset tapering timeline, 2022 predictions, and more.
The Robin Hood Foundation is New York City's largest poverty-fighting organization. For more than 30 years, Robin Hood has built and fueled non-profits across all five boroughs. CEO Richard Buery joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell ahead of his ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange and later, lighting of the NYSE Christmas tree.
