Journalistic Fact-Checking of Information in Pandemic: Stakeholders, Hoaxes, and Strategies to Fight Disinformation during the COVID-19 Crisis in Spain

Xosé López-García, Carmen Costa-Sánchez and Ángel Vizoso
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Xosé López-García: Novos Medios Research Group, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago, Spain
Carmen Costa-Sánchez: Culture and Interactive Communication Research Group, Universidade da Coruña, 15008 A Coruña, Spain
Ángel Vizoso: Novos Medios Research Group, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: The public health crisis created by COVID-19 represents a challenge for journalists and the media. Specialised information in healthcare and science has turned into a need to deal with the current situation as well as the demand for information by society. In this context of increased uncertainty, the circulation of fake news on social networks and messaging applications has proliferated, producing what has been known as ‘infodemic’. This paper is focused on the fact-checking of journalistic content using a combined methodology: content analysis of information denied by the main Spanish fact-checking platforms ( Maldita and Newtral ) and an in-depth questionnaire to these stakeholders. The results confirm the quantitative and qualitative evolution of disinformation. Quantitatively, more fact-checking is performed during the state of alarm. Qualitatively, hoaxes increase in complexity as the pandemic evolves, in such a way that disinformation engineering takes place, and it is expected to continue until the development of a vaccine.

Keywords: COVID-19; journalism; pandemic; fact-checking; coronavirus; health; communication; Spain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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