Craigslist founder donates to group fighting fake news

NEW YORK (AP) — A nonprofit that tries to stop disinformation campaigns in the media says it hopes a donation by Craigslist founder Craig Newmark can help train thousands of journalists.

Newmark’s $1.5 million donation to the nonprofit group First Draft was announced Thursday.

First Draft’s Claire Wardle says Russia’s effort to influence the 2016 election through various means, including the spread of false or misleading stories through social media, points out the need for training.

The nonprofit says it will make the free training widely available in the coming months to help newsrooms prepare for the 2020 presidential campaigns.

The group says many news organizations recognize the need, but their technical knowledge is not widespread.