This volume explores the evolving landscape of misinformation, disinformation, fake news and fact-checking in the media and the public domain. It highlights the prominence misinformation poses to society tracing its relationship with weakening institutions and assaults on freedom of the press and academic freedom.
Organized into four thematic dimensions—fact-checking institutions, practices, publics, and algorithms, the book offers a comprehensive overview of the field's development. The concluding chapter reflects on recent disruptions, including the current shift from professional fact-checkers toward community-based moderation, raising urgent questions about platform governance. It outlines a forward-looking agenda focused on three key actors—platform companies, professional fact-checkers, and publics.
This collection brings together essays and research published in Digital Journalism with a new introductory and concluding chapter. It is essential reading for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers navigating the complex intersections of fact-checking and misinformation in the digital age.