An emerging genre of contemporary fact-checking

Abstract

PurposeBy exploring the social features of contemporary fact-checking this study aims to increase our understanding of fact-checking as a genre and shed light on some of the aspects that underpin the communication that fact-checkers engage in.Design/methodology/approachBy analyzing one snapshot of early COVID-19 coverage by three well-known fact-checkers and another one six months later, this study explores fact-checking as a genre. The material was examined for recurrent characteristics and the findings were categorized into corresponding themes that emerged through an open coding process.FindingsThree aspects were found to underpin a contemporary fact-checking genre. Firstly, the fact-checkers strive to facilitate accessibility. Secondly, the notion of building trust underlies the way fact-checkers promote themselves. Thirdly, fact-checking is underpinned by a pedagogical aspect. While the values and beliefs that are known to characterize traditional news media discourses are predominant in the construction of a fact-checking genre, fact-checkers also draw on conceptions typically found within academia to enact professional practices.Originality/valueContemporary fact-checking is still a fairly unexplored topic of research. This is particularly the case outside the field of journalism and media studies. This study complements earlier research from the perspective of information studies by exploring how fact-checking practices impact the communication and production of news in society.

Self-promotion and online shaming during COVID-19: A toxic combination

“…The long-term aim, therefore, should be to eliminate from society these sexist mindsets towards women, but this study shows that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, society made slow progress. Therefore, SM should treat any online shame post as the dark side of information technology use ( Zolfagharian and Yazdanparast, 2017 ) and implement a ( Juneström, 2020 ) social aspect of contemporary fact-checking to restrict such content in real time.…”

Why were Twitter Users Obsessed with Vitamin D during the first year of the pandemic?

“…When compared to the ground truth, the majority of information relating to the key findings was 'incorrect' for all of the findings (Figure 2). The ground truth analysis carried out in this study is similar to the fact checking processes traditional journalists engage in as part of their professional practices, especially on social media (Juneström, 2020).…”

Discourses of fact-checking in Swedish news media

“…Contemporary fact-checking has emerged as a global media genre (Juneström, 2020), and practices for fact-checking are influenced by international organizations such as the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, which launched the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) in 2015. However, on the basis of this study set in a Swedish news media context, it is not possible to make any direct inference about the presence of the same discourses in a global setting.…”