BBC News Aims for Short-Form Substance With Facebook Series ‘Cut Through the Noise’

By Cynthia Littleton

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – BBC News is taking a shot at bringing a substantive, issues-oriented program to the global social media platform that is under fire for its role in distributing fake news.

Facebook Watch has ordered a weekly series for the U.S. from dubbed “Cut Through the Noise,” which bows today . The show will deliver six- to 10-minute episodes devoted to a single timely talking, starting with a look at the growth and influence of the “gig economy” in the U.S.

was undoubtedly eager to bring the BBC imprimatur to its lineup of Facebook-funded news programs. The BBC was undaunted by the scandals surrounding Facebook and focused on its value as a communications tool with immense reach, according to Nathalie Malinarich, BBC’s editor of mobile and new formats.

“Facebook and other digital platforms are a very important source of news for many Americans,” she said. “We’re keen to get our high-quality news to those people.”

Each episode will be hosted by a relevant BBC News reporter with experience covering the issue. Among the other episodes planned is a look at the explosive issue of sexual harassment. Other installments will be reactive to news that breaks during the week, Malinarich added.

The hope is that the Facebook platform will spark a lively conversation with viewers and suggestions for future topics.

“Given the nature of the platform we hope to get more interaction from audiences and to get questions from viewers,” Malinarich said.