He’s an advisor

https://www.newsguardtech.com/our-advisory-board/

> NewsGuard’s advisors provide advice and subject-matter expertise to NewsGuard. They play no role in the determinations of ratings or the Nutrition Label write ups of websites unless otherwise noted and have no role in the governance or management of the organization.

>unless otherwise noted

I'm not sure why I should trust that they always accurately describe when they listen to the CIA on issues. I don't trust the CIA and I don't trust a board that has a former CIA director as a member.

If they wanted to be secretive, then they just wouldn’t say they have a CIA director as an advisor.

Maybe, or they are just claiming they report all the articles where the CIA influenced them as a cover.

define weird?

The CIA is an organization that specializes in destabilizing governments. That's how it's weird.

The CIA destabilises (not only - it also props up some) foreign governments to further US interests. In the US it's the FBI's job to thwart the efforts of foreign governments (who support these outlets directly and indirectly) to manipulate US elections to their interests (which might or not align with the interests of Americans).

All the big ones play this game with everyone eles.

Trust me. I grew up in a US-made military dictatorship because the US didn't like the idea of a less US-aligned democratic government.

I'm fully aware that this is how statecraft works. It's still disturbing to see CIA influence on a US-centric "fact-checking" organization.

I take it as a sign the CIA believes some "news" outlets in the US are fronts for foreign threats and at least part of their command structure is outside FBI's jurisdiction.

Or just that someone decided to hire a seemingly competent intelligence officer for a fact-checking organisation.

Interesting. My answer would not be "trust the CIA and whatever they're doing".

I certainly shouldn't, as I am not American and don't live in the US, but I can trust that they'll do whatever is best for the US, even if it's unreasonably sadistic and murderous for, say, Chileans of the 1970's.

The CIA and truth don't usually go hand in hand unless the word not is between them. The CIA is known for manipulation, coups, killing, etc not for spreading truth.