Misinformation and user-generated content: applying participatory practices in fact-checking

Abstract

In the evolving news media landscape, the proliferation of user-generated content in online news outlets and social media platforms has triggered changes in traditional processes and relationships. However, the coexistence of professional and amateur content raises a wide range of matters. Misinformation is one of the main problems faced by media organizations during the exploitation of huge amounts of data. In order to ensure the quality of the content, journalists use control methods and perform fact-checking not only on their own, but also by engaging users. By offering an examination of key issues arising from UGC research, this article seeks to focus on the application of participatory practices in fact-checking. In addition to more traditional methods, the web-based platform of Truly Media, which supports collaborative verification, is used as a case-study.