Thread by @JuddLegum

1. One important fact that becomes clear only after you look at the timeline of how Weekly Standard became a Facebook fact checker:

TWS is only fact-checking to gain access to the extraordinary power Facebook is conferring on fact checkers

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2. Prior to Facebook's program granting certain fact-checkers the ability to effective censor articles, The Weekly Standard had no fact checking program and derided the activity as pointless and counter-productive

popular.info/p/how-a-right-…

3. It then struck a deal with Facebook to join their program prior to conducting a single legitimate fact check

This is a play for the right-wing to gain power and it worked.

Now we are watching how they wield this power

popular.info/p/how-a-right-…

4. Facebook & Poynter have created an alternate reality where there is a Weekly Standard fact check unit that exists separately from the rest of the org

But it's really just one guy

Does he operate completely independently? Does he have an editor?

popular.info/p/how-a-right-…