A quick curation of recent news about the field of communications —

366 links to understand fact-checking in 2016 – Poynter, Dec. 21, 2016
2016 was the year of facts — or not. Poynter, the global leader in journalism best practices and ethics, compiled 366 fact-checking links covering the fact craze that took over the world. Poynter tackles all the fact-related buzzwords (fake news, post-truth) and even looks at the academic and philosophical studies related to fact-checking. It’s complex, but well worth the effort.

Artsy photo app Prisma gets more social – Mashable, Dec. 20, 2016
Just what I need — another social media app. (NOT.) I like Prisma; I can transform my photos into literal works of art. It’s great for creating new Facebook and Twitter “cover” photos and for sharing on Instagram. But please, PLEASE don’t make me join another social network! Complete with a newsfeed and profile, Prisma is yet another thing I now have to manage. To make matters worse, Adobe’s Aviary — my go to photo editing mobile app — looks to be doing the same thing.

Facebook is giving you a new gift for 2017: More Facebook – Mashable, Dec. 20, 2016
Facebook wants to be your friend. The social media platform we all love to hate is channeling its inner Google to give users a more real world experiences. “Memories” was the first foray (though somewhat misguided) into this project, followed by “friendship” anniversaries. Stay tuned for more to come in 2017.

FAA helps police suppress reporting from Dakota pipeline protests – ACLU, Dec. 19, 2016
Have you seen aerial footage from the Standing Rock protests? No, of course you haven’t. Since protests of the Dakota pipeline began, the FAA has instituted three no-fly zones, banning all civilian aircraft traffic. As a result, news coverage is sparse, especially in rural areas immediately surrounding Standing Rock. News suppression isn’t new for the FAA; look no further than coverage of the Ferguson protests in 2014.