Journal article
Who is who in fact-checked conspiracy theories? Disseminators, sources, and the struggle for authority in polarized environments
Journalism (London, England), Vol.25(4), pp.856-880
04/01/2024
DOI: 10.1177/14648849231165579
Abstract
Despite the growing scholarship concerning mis- and disinformation, research has yet to assess how journalism tackles conspiracy theories in settings where news organizations and media professionals have their authority questioned. Against this background, our article poses two research questions: RQ1) Who are the actors mainstream fact-checkers cover when addressing conspiracy theories? RQ2) To what extent does the focus on such actors delegitimize those who challenge news organizations or compete with them for the audience? Using content analysis as our key methodological strategy, we consider 197 fact-checks published between 2018 and 2021 by the Projeto Comprova, a Brazilian initiative currently comprising professionals from 41 media organizations. We found that the most discussed topics were those mobilizing polarized groups, namely, the Covid-19 pandemic and election fraud allegations. The then-President Bolsonaro and his supporters were often cited as disseminators of such plots. In turn, Facebook is pointed out as a thriving environment for the circulation of conspiratorial narratives. The results also reveal the prominence of mainstream news outlets as sources to ground the "factual" information sustained in the fact-checks. More interestingly, our data suggest that fact-checkers have favored specific news values when addressing conspiracy theories. To strengthen our investigation, we use interviews with four professionals contributing to the Comprova to illustrate how the project has brought together rival companies interested in delegitimizing "alternative" sources of information.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Who is who in fact-checked conspiracy theories? Disseminators, sources, and the struggle for authority in polarized environments
- Creators
- Francisco Paulo Jamil Marques - Universidade Federal do ParanáPaulo Ferracioli - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)Naiza Comel - Universidade Federal do ParanáAndressa Butture Kniess - Universidade Federal do Paraná
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journalism (London, England), Vol.25(4), pp.856-880
- DOI
- 10.1177/14648849231165579
- ISSN
- 1464-8849
- eISSN
- 1741-3001
- Publisher
- Sage
- Number of pages
- 25
- Grant note
- 310724/2020-1; 406504/2022-9 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) 001; 88887.478242/2020-00 / Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior; Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/01/2024
- Academic Unit
- Center for Social Science Innovation; School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Record Identifier
- 9984771646702771
Metrics
49 Record Views