IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jpubli/v9y2021i3p36-d613320.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fact Checkers Facing Fake News and Disinformation in the Digital Age: A Comparative Analysis between Spain and United Kingdom

Author

Listed:
  • Casandra López-Marcos

    (Department of Communication Sciences and Sociology, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28942 Madrid, Spain)

  • Pilar Vicente-Fernández

    (Department of Communication Sciences and Sociology, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28942 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

The current media ecosystem, derived from the consolidation of Information and Communication Technologies, shows a scenario in which the relationship between the media and their audience is being redefined. This represents a challenge for journalistic practice. In the digital age, the public actively participates in the construction and dissemination of news through social networks. Faced with this loss of control by the media, fake news and disinformation are emerging as one of the main problems of journalistic practice in a competitive business context, and with a high saturation of news content. In this situation, fact checkers emerge as key players in the information verification process. This research comparatively analyses the main fact checkers in Spain and the United Kingdom through content analysis applied to their corporate websites to understand their characteristics and working methodologies. The results underline that they are concerned with the concepts of transparency and honesty, along with showing their funding streams. The rigorousness of the verification process also stands out, as well as the importance of dialogue with the audience in their work. While in Spain they are featured by their non-profit nature and their international coverage, UK fact checkers focus on national information and are sometimes conceived as a business.

Suggested Citation

  • Casandra López-Marcos & Pilar Vicente-Fernández, 2021. "Fact Checkers Facing Fake News and Disinformation in the Digital Age: A Comparative Analysis between Spain and United Kingdom," Publications, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jpubli:v:9:y:2021:i:3:p:36-:d:613320
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6775/9/3/36/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6775/9/3/36/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mirko Duradoni & Stefania Collodi & Serena Coppolino Perfumi & Andrea Guazzini, 2021. "Reviewing Stranger on the Internet: The Role of Identifiability through “Reputation” in Online Decision Making," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-12, April.
    2. Andreas Hein & Maximilian Schreieck & Tobias Riasanow & David Soto Setzke & Manuel Wiesche & Markus Böhm & Helmut Krcmar, 2020. "Digital platform ecosystems," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(1), pages 87-98, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maik Hesse & Timm Teubner & Marc T. P. Adam, 2022. "In Stars We Trust – A Note on Reputation Portability Between Digital Platforms," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 64(3), pages 349-358, June.
    2. Attila Havas & Doris Schartinger & K. Matthias Weber, 2022. "Innovation Studies, Social Innovation, and Sustainability Transitions Research: From mutual ignorance towards an integrative perspective?," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 2227, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    3. Dolata, Ulrich, 2024. "Industry platforms: A new mode of coordination in the economy," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2024-02, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    4. Rainer Alt, 2020. "Evolution and perspectives of electronic markets," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(1), pages 1-13, March.
    5. Jürgen Anke & Jens Poeppelbuss & Rainer Alt, 2020. "It Takes More than Two to Tango: Identifying Roles and Patterns in Multi-Actor Smart Service Innovation," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 72(4), pages 599-634, October.
    6. Andrey E. Shastitko & Natalia S. Pavlova & Nadezhda V. Kashchenko, 2020. "Antitrust regulation of product ecosystems: The case study of Kaspersky Lab. – Apple Inc," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 11(4), pages 29-42, September.
    7. Peng, Hui & Lu, Yaobin & Gupta, Sumeet, 2023. "Promoting value emergence through digital platform ecosystems: Perspectives on resource integration in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    8. Mosch, Philipp & Majocco, Philipp & Obermaier, Robert, 2023. "Contrasting value creation strategies of industrial-IoT-platforms – a multiple case study," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    9. Hang Truong & Craig Steven McLachlan, 2022. "Analysis of Start-Up Digital Mental Health Platforms for Enterprise: Opportunities for Enhancing Communication between Managers and Employees," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-12, March.
    10. Wu, Mian & (David) Liu, Yulong & Jasimuddin, Sajjad M. & (Justin) Zhang, Zuopeng, 2023. "Rethinking cross-border mobile payment ecosystems: A process study of mobile payment platform complementors, network effect holes and ecosystem modules," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(1).
    11. Ortmann, Regina & Simons, Dirk & Voeller, Dennis, 2021. "Real effects of an international tax reform for MNEs," arqus Discussion Papers in Quantitative Tax Research 265, arqus - Arbeitskreis Quantitative Steuerlehre.
    12. Wallbach, Sören, 2020. "Assimilation and Diffusion of Multi-Sided Platforms in Dynamic B2B Networks: Inhibiting Factors and Their Consequences," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 123277, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    13. Rong, Ke & Li, Boyi & Peng, Wan & Zhou, Di & Shi, Xinwei, 2021. "Sharing economy platforms: creating shared value at a business ecosystem level," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    14. Alexander Gleiss & Marco Kohlhagen & Key Pousttchi, 2021. "An apple a day – how the platform economy impacts value creation in the healthcare market," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 31(4), pages 849-876, December.
    15. Daniel Fürstenau & Abayomi Baiyere & Kai Schewina & Matthias Schulte-Althoff & Hannes Rothe, 2023. "Extended Generativity Theory on Digital Platforms," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(4), pages 1686-1710, December.
    16. Sebastian Hermes & Tobias Riasanow & Eric K. Clemons & Markus Böhm & Helmut Krcmar, 2020. "The digital transformation of the healthcare industry: exploring the rise of emerging platform ecosystems and their influence on the role of patients," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 13(3), pages 1033-1069, November.
    17. Wu, Aiqi & Song, Di & Liu, Yihui, 2022. "Platform synergy and innovation speed of SMEs: The roles of organizational design and regional environment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 38-53.
    18. Hamid Etemad, 2023. "The increasing prevalence of multi-sided online platforms and their influence on international entrepreneurship: The rapid transformation of entrepreneurial digital ecosystems," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-30, March.
    19. Weking, Jörg & Desouza, Kevin C. & Fielt, Erwin & Kowalkiewicz, Marek, 2023. "Metaverse-enabled entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    20. Matzner, Martin & Pauli, Tobias & Marx, Emanuel & Anke, Jürgen & Poeppelbuss, Jens & Fielt, Erwin & Gregor, Shirley & Sun, Ruonan & Hydle, Katja Maria & Aas, Tor Helge & Aanestad, Margunn & Gordijn, J, 2021. "Transitioning to Platform-based Services and Business Models in a B2B Environment," SMR - Journal of Service Management Research, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 5(3), pages 143-162.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jpubli:v:9:y:2021:i:3:p:36-:d:613320. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.