CNN has apologized for a typo in the email subject line of a recent newsletter that left out a word that inadvertently gave the wrong impression about a change in Facebook’s policy on hate speech, Mediaite reported on Wednesday.
The subject line of the October 12th newsletter for CNN’s “5 Things” initially read “Facebook expands its hate speech,” which was then quickly changed to the correct version, “Facebook expands its hate speech policy.”
CNN acknowledged the error and its correction in an email.
Facebook's policy change was that the social media platform now prohibits any material related to Holocaust denial.
Previoulsy, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had opposed the removal of such content, explaining that he finds it offensive but did not want to restrict free speech.
Zuckerberg said the change in policy was due to a desire to counter increasing trends of anti-semitism, according to Mediaite.
“I’ve struggled with the tension between standing for free expression and the harm caused by minimizing or denying the horror of the Holocaust,” said Zuckerberg. “My own thinking has evolved as I’ve seen data showing an increase in anti-semitic violence, as have our wider policies on hate speech. Drawing the right lines between what is and isn’t acceptable speech isn’t straightforward, but with the current state of the world, I believe this is the right balance.”
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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