Combating Fake News: Investigating Media’s Efforts for Fact-Checking in Bangladesh

Given the growing threat posed by the spread of fake news to objective journalism, this study investigates the efforts initiated by Bangladeshi media organizations and journalists to counter this digital menace. The study employs both survey and in-depth interview methods to examine fact-checking practices and associated challenges within media organizations. While snowball sampling was used to recruit 51 journalists for the survey, purposive sampling was used to select 15 additional senior journalists from the 15 leading media houses. Separate unstructured questionnaires were used for both surveys and interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. The findings reveal that fact-checking efforts are significantly hindered by insufficient technical support and a lack of skilled personnel.