State-Affiliated Media Outlet Announces New Program To Fight ‘Disinformation’

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced a new program to fight “disinformation” called “BBC Verify” Monday.

“Welcome to BBC Verify. Like we said, we are a team of investigative journalists here at the BBC. We are also a new brand and we are physical location above the newsroom in London,” BBC “disinformation” correspondent Marianna Spring said. “And the point of the team, as you said, is to verify video, to fact-check, to counter disinformation and to analyze really complex stories, so we can get to the truth of what’s going on.

“Why does this matter? Well, mistruths can cause really serious harm to society and to the people in them, and so we want to show you our workings and really help you understand how we get to the bottom of what’s happening,” Spring continued.

The BBC was first granted a royal charter by King George V in 1927, according to the broadcaster’s website. The public broadcaster earlier this year objected to Twitter labeling it “government-funded media” and noting that the BBC is the “national broadcaster of the UK.”

The outlet covered the allegations that former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia during his 2016 presidential campaign and the takedown of the free-speech social media site Parler.

Spring also revealed the BBC set up what she called “undercover” accounts and that she was also looking into competing media outlets.

“At the moment I’m investigating the U.K.’s conspiracy theory movement. I’m trying to understand more about how it’s evolved and intensified since the pandemic here in the U.K. I’m looking at the alternative media that finds itself at the heart of this movement, and a conspiracy theory newspaper that’s a part of that as well,” Spring said.

“I’m looking at the way that alternative media is funded. I’m looking at its impact on local communities,” Spring continued. “I’m looking at its connections with far-right figures and also its foreign links. That’s for a podcast series that’ll be coming out in June.”

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