What Is the Problem with Misinformation? Fact-checking as a Sociotechnical and Problem-Solving Practice

Westlund, Oscar; Belair-Gagnon, Valerie; Graves, Lucas; Larsen, Rebekah; Steensen, Steen

doi:10.1080/1461670x.2024.2357316

Journalism Studies

2024

DOI: 10.1080/1461670x.2024.2357316

|View full text |Cite

What Is the Problem with Misinformation? Fact-checking as a Sociotechnical and Problem-Solving Practice

Oscar Westlund,

Valerie Belair-Gagnon,

Lucas Graves

et al.

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...

Citation Types

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Year Published

2024

Publication Types

Select...

Article3

Relationship

Self Cite0

Independent3

Authors

Journals

Cited by 3 publications

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news? Proposing a typology framework of false information

Tsang

2024

Journalism

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Over the past years, misinformation has attracted considerable attention in communication research. While there is now general agreement on what constitutes misinformation, the applicability of relevant definitions to fact-checking practices, computational fake news detection, and legal sanctions is minimal. More importantly, the definitions do not clarify what contributes to information falsity. This article argues that in clarifying the nature of misinformation, the content’s format, the author’s intent, and opinionated information are less of a concern than the traits used to construct misinformation. To make progress in identifying the causes of fake news, the various traits used to construct misinformation should be considered prior to inferring the author’s intentions, but not vice versa. Based on the findings of existing taxonomies and the labels used to provide conclusions in fact-checking reports, a typology framework is proposed, dividing false information into four main categories: fabrication, manipulation, misinterpretation, and providing incomplete information. Such a framework is anticipated to demonstrate practicality for detecting misinformation online. Given that different kinds of false information have different implied intentions, different implications for fake news detection and governance are expected.

show abstract

Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news? Proposing a typology framework of false information

Tsang

2024

Journalism

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Truth in the Crossfire: The Case of Ethiopia and Fact-Checking in Authoritarian Contexts

Azoulay

2024

MaC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fact-checking in Ethiopia is doubly challenged. First, because Ethiopia is ruled by an authoritarian government, which restricts the information environment, and second, because the conflict in northern Ethiopia that erupted in November 2020 has made disinformation more rampant, and its implications deadly. But fact-checking in Ethiopia is the product not only of the work of Ethiopian organizations: local fact-checkers international allies and funders also play important roles. This article explores the practice of fact-checking by local organizations and the challenges they encounter in this work in an authoritarian, conflict-affected context. It also serves as a case study shedding light on the interplay between Ethiopian fact-checking organizations and their allies in the international development sector. Local and international organizations have distinct positions within the fact-checking ecosystem and funder (grantee relationships, and funders, at times, compound local organizations’ challenges). This research reflects information gathered through semi-structured interviews with local fact-checkers and their international allies, as well as a qualitative content analysis of publicly available materials and social media channels. Its findings imply that local fact-checking organizations, their funders, and allied international organizations interact in complex ways in challenging environments.

show abstract

Mapa mundial del fact-checking en Instagram. Formatos de contenido y su efecto en el engagement

García-Marín

2024

Estud. mensaje periodís.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Se presenta un estudio exhaustivo sobre la utilización de Instagram por parte del periodismode verificación (fact-checking) a nivel global. En concreto, se analiza el uso de los formatos que permiteesta plataforma (fotografía, álbum y vídeo) y su efecto en dos indicadores clave del engagement: likes ycomentarios. Se analizaron mediante estadística descriptiva e inferencial todas las publicaciones de todoslos verificadores pertenecientes a la IFCN emitidas hasta octubre de 2023 (n=95631; 80 verificadores de 49países). Se observan diferencias notables en la utilización de los formatos por regiones mundiales. A nivelglobal, el formato tiene un efecto mayor en el número de likes que en los comentarios. Los fact-checkerslatinoamericanos y asiáticos realizan un mejor aprovechamiento de la plataforma, ya que explotan en mayormedida los formatos más efectivos en el impulso tanto de likes como de comentarios. Donde se aprecianlas desviaciones más notables entre utilización y engagement de los formatos es en Europa: es mayoritarioel uso de la fotografía única a pesar de que es el formato que menor número de likes y comentarios recibe.Aunque en términos generales la utilización del formato álbum impulsa notablemente ambos indicadores, sedetectan desviaciones significativas en el funcionamiento del engagement en las distintas regiones, lo quedemuestra su carácter contextual y la dificultad de establecer pautas generales para impulsarlo.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

What Is the Problem with Misinformation? Fact-checking as a Sociotechnical and Problem-Solving Practice

Cited by 3 publications

References 24 publications

Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news? Proposing a typology framework of false information

Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news? Proposing a typology framework of false information

Truth in the Crossfire: The Case of Ethiopia and Fact-Checking in Authoritarian Contexts

Mapa mundial del fact-checking en Instagram. Formatos de contenido y su efecto en el engagement

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About