I suggest (for the tech gurus out there) developing and implementing the following open source user run fake news moderation system (as a module or addon):
Add a user verified fact check flag (not the same as the reporting option) with three states: opinion, submitted for fact check, user verified. The default state is opinion on all posts.
Any user can publicly flag a post to be fact checked but that user must also provide the fact check as a comment. (Simply flagging is insufficient since one must be a part of the solution to not be a part of the problem.)
The original post is then automatically moved to a fact check team moderator account so it is seen by all users that follow it as members of a "fact check team". (Comments are disabled when the flag is set for fact check and the original post cannot be liked, disliked, or shared while in this account being "moderated" over the course of ten business days.)
Fact check team members can like or dislike the fact check comment to "vote" in support of the fact check or not.
The original poster is notified their post has been moved to the moderator account as a result of being flagged with a fact check submitted. This triggers two possible actions:
The original poster has the opportunity to provide a single response countering the fact check.
Fact check team members can see the counter response and "vote" on it separately from the fact check.
Over the course of the ten business day moderation period, the "votes" are automatically tallied.
If the response from the original poster has more votes than the fact check submitted, the post is restored to the original poster's account and the fact check flag is set to user verified. The fact check and the counter response become historical (those comments cannot be reshared). This does not prevent the original post from being flagged again for fact checking because sometimes new information becomes available.
If the response from the original poster has fewer votes than the fact check submitted or does not exist, It is marked as fake news and becomes historical in the moderation account (removed from public view and not returned to the original poster's account).
Any critiques, ideas, or takers?