University of Kwazulu-Natal

Misinformation How Fact Checking Journalism Is Evolving And Having A

Bonisiwe Shabane
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misinformation how fact checking journalism is evolving and having a

Visiting Researcher & Co-Director Chevening African Media Freedom Fellowship, University of Westminster Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison Peter Cunliffe-Jones is a member of the advisory board of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), based at the Poynter Institute, founder of the fact-checking organisation Africa Check, and was senior advisor to the Arab... Lucas Graves does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. University of Westminster provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK. “Fake news” loves a crisis.

It’s clear now that false information has played a role in recent events around the world from divisive elections to the COVID pandemic to the conflict roiling Israel and Gaza. It is important to counter false claims and false narratives. And research now shows a lot more clarity about how to do this. In a rather downbeat article in September 2023, The New York Times reported that “the momentum behind organizations that aim to combat online falsehoods has started to taper off.” It reported that the number... The Times report captured some of the well-known challenges fact-checkers face. But it offered a distressingly narrow picture of the work they actually do every day, how the fact-checking community’s approach to countering false information has evolved, and the different ways their work can make...

On numbers alone, the picture is more complex than was presented. Africa Check, the first fact-checking organization in Africa, has grown from a team of two in 2012 to a staff of 40 with offices in four countries today. The same is true of Maldita, which started as a Twitter account run by two TV journalists and today has a staff of more than 50. In some regions, the number of operations has fallen back. In others, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, it is still growing. Artificial intelligence is likely to make the ‘fake news’ problem worse.

But it can also be used to help us counter misinformation. By Peter Cunliffe-JonesVisiting Researcher & Co-Director Chevening African Media Freedom FellowshipUniversity of Westminster By Lucas GravesProfessor in the School of Journalism and Mass CommunicationUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison “Fake news” loves a crisis. It’s clear now that false information has played a role in recent events around the world from divisive elections to the COVID pandemic to the conflict roiling Israel and Gaza. It is important to counter false claims and false narratives.

And research now shows a lot more clarity about how to do this. Peter Cunliffe-Jones, University of Westminster and Lucas Graves, University of Wisconsin-Madison “Fake news” loves a crisis. It’s clear now that false information has played a role in recent events around the world from divisive elections to the COVID pandemic to the conflict roiling Israel and Gaza. It is important to counter false claims and false narratives. And research now shows a lot more clarity about how to do this.

In a rather downbeat article in September 2023, the New York Times (NYT) reported that “the momentum behind organizations that aim to combat online falsehoods has started to taper off”. It reported that the number of fact-checking operations around the world had “stagnated”, after rising from 11 in 2008 to 424 in 2022 and dropping slightly to 417 today. The NYT report captured some of the well-known challenges fact-checkers face. But it offered a distressingly narrow picture of the work they actually do every day, how the fact-checking community’s approach to countering false information has evolved, and the different ways their work can make... Fact-Checking Journalism has undergone significant evolution over the years, enhancing media accountability and credibility. Initially, the role of fact-checking was largely confined to editorial processes within newsrooms, but it has since expanded into a specialized field of journalism.

This evolution has been driven by the increasing demand for accurate information and the public’s growing skepticism towards media sources. By rigorously verifying facts before publication, fact-checking journalism holds media outlets accountable for the information they disseminate. This accountability not only strengthens the credibility of individual news organizations but also bolsters the overall trust in the media landscape. In the digital age, Fact-Checking Journalism plays a crucial role in countering misinformation. The rapid spread of false information through social media and other digital platforms poses a significant challenge to public understanding and discourse. Fact-checkers work tirelessly to identify, analyze, and refute false claims, thereby preventing misinformation from gaining traction.

This proactive approach is essential in maintaining an informed public and protecting democratic processes from the adverse effects of misinformation. Fact-Checking Journalism is indispensable in ensuring the accurate dissemination of information. Fact-checkers meticulously scrutinize statements, statistics, and reports, verifying their authenticity through multiple reliable sources. This rigorous process ensures that the information reaching the public is accurate and trustworthy. By upholding high standards of accuracy, fact-checkers contribute to the integrity of the news and help maintain an informed citizenry. Moreover, Fact-Checking Journalism is highly effective in combating misinformation and disinformation.

In an era where false information can spread rapidly and widely, fact-checkers act as a crucial line of defense. They identify and debunk false claims, providing the public with verified information. This not only corrects false narratives but also deters the spread of misinformation by holding sources accountable. The effectiveness of fact-checking in combating misinformation underscores its essential role in modern media. Fact-Checking Journalism fosters increased public trust in news. In a media environment where trust is often eroded by sensationalism and bias, fact-checking provides a reliable means of verifying information.

When the public knows that news organizations are committed to rigorous fact-checking, their confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the news increases. This trust is crucial for the functioning of a healthy democracy, as it ensures that citizens are well-informed and capable of making educated decisions.

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