Purpose

By exploring the social features of contemporary fact-checking this study aims to increase our understanding of fact-checking as a genre and shed light on some of the aspects that underpin the communication that fact-checkers engage in.

Design/methodology/approach

By analyzing one snapshot of early COVID-19 coverage by three well-known fact-checkers and another one six months later, this study explores fact-checking as a genre. The material was examined for recurrent characteristics and the findings were categorized into corresponding themes that emerged through an open coding process.

Findings

Three aspects were found to underpin a contemporary fact-checking genre. Firstly, the fact-checkers strive to facilitate accessibility. Secondly, the notion of building trust underlies the way fact-checkers promote themselves. Thirdly, fact-checking is underpinned by a pedagogical aspect. While the values and beliefs that are known to characterize traditional news media discourses are predominant in the construction of a fact-checking genre, fact-checkers also draw on conceptions typically found within academia to enact professional practices.

Originality/value

Contemporary fact-checking is still a fairly unexplored topic of research. This is particularly the case outside the field of journalism and media studies. This study complements earlier research from the perspective of information studies by exploring how fact-checking practices impact the communication and production of news in society.

中文翻译：

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当代事实核查的新兴形式

目的

通过探索当代事实检查的社会特征，本研究旨在增进我们对事实检查作为一种体裁的理解，并阐明支持事实检查者进行交流的某些方面。

设计/方法/方法

通过分析三位知名事实检查者对一份早期COVID-19报道的快照，以及六个月后的另一份快照，本研究探索了事实检查作为一种体裁。检查了材料的重复特征，并将发现结果归类为通过开放编码过程出现的相应主题。

发现

发现三个方面构成了当代事实核查类型的基础。首先，事实检查人员努力促进可访问性。其次，建立信任的概念是事实检查员自我提升的基础。第三，事实检查的基础是教学方法。尽管众所周知的代表传统新闻媒体话语的价值观和信念在事实核查类型的构建中占主导地位，但事实核查员还借鉴了学术界通常发现的概念来制定专业实践。

创意/价值

当代事实核对仍然是一个尚未开发的研究主题。在新闻和媒体研究领域之外的情况尤其如此。这项研究通过探索事实检查做法如何影响社会中新闻的传播和产生，从信息研究的角度对早期研究进行了补充。