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)
Apple has revealed that the tech giant is working more on going green, reporting the use of more recycled materials than ever before. It's setting sustainability goals, aiming to cut emissions by 75 percent in the next 10 years and eventually ending the use of plastic in packaging.
Chipotle is investing $50 million into a venture capital fund to aid tech startups that focus on operations. Chief Technology Officer Curt Garner joined Cheddar News to talk about how the fast-casual chain is innovating its brand strategy with the fund. "We look for technologies that elevate the human experience, and that human experience can occur with our customers as they come into our restaurants and very importantly our employees as well," he said.
The telecom giant AT&T is looking to make online learning more fun for students by engaging them with content from its partners at Warner Bros. Discovery. Mylayna Albright, the assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility for AT&T, joined Cheddar to discuss how the company came about with the free digital e-learning program that it's calling The Achievery. "We knew that once students went home as a result of the pandemic, it was very difficult for them, and we knew from research, specifically through Morning Consult, that parents and teachers realized that probably 80 percent of students felt that they would be more engaged if they had a more entertaining approach," she said.
Sourceful is an all-in-one platform for sourcing sustainable materials. The startup recently raised $20 million in a Series A round led by Index Ventures. Through its platform, Sourceful helps businesses find and design more eco-friendly packaging and reduce the carbon footprint of their supply chains. Wing Chan, Co-Founder and CEO of Sourceful, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
