News Production Of Fact-Checking Journalism

In the age of social media,fake news is rampant and the world is increasingly infested with fake news and inaccurate information.Fact-checking has been separated from the news-gathering process and become an independent news format,and more and more subjects have joined the process of fact-checking news production.As an important vehicle for dealing with inaccurate information,fact-checking journalism is regarded as an innovative practice in journalism and an important way for journalism to defend its boundaries and legitimacy.This paper attempts to examine the process of fact-checking news production from the perspective of news production,using the Hierarchy-of Influences Model to examine the process of news production of fact-checking journalism,so as to explore the authenticity of news.This study takes the independent we-media “China Fact Check”and the mainstream media Pengpai’s “Fact Paper” as examples.The researcher conducted news ethnography and in-depth interviews with 14 editors and fact checkers.The study found that fact-checking reports have independent production processes,operational concepts,and presentation methods.But they are in the same news field as other news activities,and thus have common characteristics of journalism in constructing news truth.Fact-checking news production is influenced by different factors at different levels,and ultimately presents the current pattern of fact-checking news reporting.The participants in fact-checking journalism are characterized by a diversity of identities,uncertainty in the frequency and manner of participation,and individuality and fluidity in the specific process of fact-checking journalism production.At the routine level,objectivity and transparency are important guidelines for practice.In order to pursue objectivity and accuracy,the fact-checking news agencies have adapted the internationally accepted fact-checking practices locally and formed a more fixed operational process and text structure.Editorial guidelines are the main organizational-level factors influencing fact-checking practices of fact-checking agencies.External factors have a greater impact on international news fact-checking,mainly ideological and cultural conflicts that influence the construction of news truth in fact-checking journalism.Fact-checking news production promotes “news truth”closer to “whole truth”,promotes the realization of “reporting truth”,and realizes“receiving truth” in interactive activities for all people.