Fact-checking in Spain: Perception and trust | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Communication and Dissent: Competing Voices in a Post-Truth World
  • ISSN: 1757-1898
  • E-ISSN: 1757-1901

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyse the perceptions, social discourses and practices regarding the verification processes of the information consumed in the context of the information disorder that societies are experiencing. To do this, we created seven discussion groups structured around the variables age, position in the social structure and political ideology. We found that (1) there is a shared perception about how disinformation compromises one of the basic pillars of democracy; (2) this perception contradicts the few practices used to verify the information consumed; (3) macro-structural changes that generate a climate of less polarization, more critical education and regulation of information practices are put forward as solutions to disinformation and the circulation of false information.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Ecology of disinformation: The construction of fake news and its impact on the public space (Award AICO2020/224)
  • Disinformation flows, polarization and crisis of media intermediation (Disflows) (Award PID2020-113574RB-I00)
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/cjcs_00073_1
2022-10-01
2024-04-19
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Aird, M. J.,, Ecker, U. K.,, Swire, B.,, Berinsky, A. J., and Lewandowsky, S.. ( 2018;), ‘ Does truth matter to voters? The effects of correcting political misinformation in an Australian sample. ’, Royal Society Open Science, 5:12, pp. 214.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Amazeen, M. A.. ( 2019;), ‘ Practitioner perceptions: Critical junctures and the global emergence and challenges of fact-checking. ’, International Communication Gazette, 81:6–8, pp. 54161, https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048518817674. Accessed 9 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Bakir, V., and McStay, A.. ( 2018;), ‘ Fake news and the economy of emotions: Problems, causes, solutions. ’, Digital Journalism, 6:2, pp. 15475, https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1345645. Accessed 10 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Baptista, J. P.,, Correia, E.,, Gradim, A., and Piñeiro-Naval, V.. ( 2021;), ‘ The influence of political ideology on fake news belief: The Portuguese case. ’, Publications, 9:2, pp. 117, https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9020023. Accessed 11 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Barrera, O.,, Guriev, S.,, Henry, E., and Zhuravskaya, E.. ( 2020;), ‘ Facts, alternative facts, and fact checking in times of post-truth politics. ’, Journal of Public Economics, 182, pp. 10423.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Bennett, W. L., and Livingston, S.. ( 2018;), ‘ The disinformation order: Disruptive communication and the decline of democratic institutions. ’, European Journal of Communication, 33:2, pp. 12239, https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323118760317. Accessed 12 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Bernal-Triviño, A., and Clares-Gavilán, J.. ( 2019;), ‘ Uso del móvil y las redes sociales como canales de verificación de fake news. El caso de Maldita.es. ’, Profesional de la Información, 28:3, pp. 18.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Brandtzaeg, P. B., and Følstad, A.. ( 2017;), ‘ Trust and distrust in online fact-checking services. ’, Communications of the ACM, 60:9, pp. 6571, https://doi.org/10.1145/3122803. Accessed 11 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Bourdieu, P.. ( 1988), Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, Madrid:: Taurus;.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Clayton, K.,, Blair, S.,, Busam, J. A.,, Forstner, S.,, Glance, J.,, Green, G.,, Kawata, A.,, Kovvuri, A.,, Martin, J.,, Morgan, E.,, Sandhu, M.,, Sang, R.,, Scholz-Bright, R.,, Welch, A. T.,, Wolff, A. G.,, Zhou, A., and Nyhan, B.. ( 2020;), ‘ Real solutions for fake news? Measuring the effectiveness of general warnings and fact-check tags in reducing belief in false stories on social media. ’, Political Behavior, 42:4, pp. 107395, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-019-09533-0. Accessed 12 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Delli Carpini, M., and Williams, B. A.. ( 2011), After Broadcasting News, New York:: Cambridge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. De Lucas, A.. ( 1995), Opposition Report: Teaching Project: Sociology of Consumption and Market Research, inédito;, (unpublished) .
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Dias, N., and Sippitt, A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Researching fact checking: Present limitations and future opportunities. ’, Political Quarterly, 91:3, pp. 60513, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-923X.12892. Accessed 8 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Ecker, U. K.,, O’Reilly, Z.,, Reid, J. S., and Chang, E. P.. ( 2020;), ‘ The effectiveness of short-format refutational fact-checks. ’, British Journal of Psychology, 111:1, pp. 3654.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Flew, T.. ( 2019;), ‘ Digital communication, the crisis of trust, and the post-global. ’, Communication Research and Practice, 5:1, pp. 422, https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2019.1561394. Accessed 15 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Foucault, M.. ( 2002), Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, Buenos Aires:: Siglo XXI Editores Argentina;.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Galtung, J.. ( 2016;), ‘ La violencia: Cultural, estructural y directa. ’, Cuadernos de estrategia, 183:3, pp. 14768.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Gray, J.,, Bounegru, L., and Venturini, T.. ( 2020;), ‘ “Fake news” as infrastructural uncanny. ’, New Media & Society, 22:2, pp. 31741, https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819856912. Accessed 8 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Gunther, R.,, Montero, J. R., and Wert J. I.. ( 2000;), ‘ The media and politics in Spain: From dictatorship to democracy. ’, in R. Gunther, and A. Mughan. (eds), Democracy and the Media: A Comparative Perspective, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, pp. 2884.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Hall, S.. ( 1997;), ‘ The work of representation. ’, in S. Hall. (ed.), Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, London:: Sage;, pp. 1374.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Hameleers, M., and van der Meer, T. G. L. A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Misinformation and polarization in a high-choice media environment: How effective are political fact-checkers?. ’, Communication Research, 47:2, pp. 22750, https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650218819671. Accessed 18 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Himma-Kadakas, M.. ( 2017;), ‘ Alternative facts and fake news entering journalistic content production cycle. ’, Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 9:2, pp. 2540, https://doi.org/10.5130/ccs.v9i2.5469. Accessed 11 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Humanes, M. L.. ( 2014;), ‘ Selective exposure and partisanship of audiences in Spain: The consumption of political information during the 2008 election campaigns. ’, Palabra Clave, 17:3, pp. 773802.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Ibáñez, J.. ( 1979), Beyond Sociology: The Focus Group: Technique and Ccritique, Madrid:: Siglo XXI;.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. López Pan, F., and Rodríguez Rodríguez, J. M.. ( 2020;), ‘ Fact checking in Spain: Platforms, practices and distinctive features. ’, Estudios sobre el mensaje periodístico, 26:3, pp. 104565.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Lyons, B.,, Mérola, V.,, Reifler, J., and Stoeckel, F.. ( 2020;), ‘ How politics shape views toward fact-checking: Evidence from six European countries. ’, International Journal of Press/Politics, 25:3, pp. 4692, https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161220921732. Accessed 15 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Martín Llaguno, M., and Berganza Conde, R.. ( 2001;), ‘ Voters and media in the 1996 Spanish national elections: Selective exposure or media influence?. ’, Comunicación y Sociedad, 14:1, pp. 5170.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Nyhan, B.,, Porter, E.,, Reifler, J., and Wood, T. J.. ( 2020;), ‘ Taking fact-checks literally but not seriously? The effects of journalistic fact-checking on factual beliefs and candidate favorability. ’, Political Behavior, 42:3, pp. 93960, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-019-09528-x. Accessed 14 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Palau-Sampio, D.. ( 2018;), ‘ Fact-checking and scrutiny of power: Supervision of public discourses in new media platforms from Latin America. ’, Communication & Society, 31:3, pp. 34765.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Pingree, R. J.,, Watson, B.,, Sui, M.,, Searles, K.,, Kalmoe, N. P.,, Darr, J. P.,, Santia, M., and Bryanov, K.. ( 2018;), ‘ Checking facts and fighting back: Why journalists should defend their profession. ’, PLoS ONE, 13:12, pp. 114, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208600. Accessed 18 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Robertson, C. T.,, Mourão, R. R., and Thorson, E.. ( 2020;), ‘ Who uses fact-checking sites? The impact of demographics, political antecedents, and media use on fact-checking site awareness, attitudes, and behavior. ’, International Journal of Press/Politics, 25:2, pp. 21737, https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161219898055. Accessed 14 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Shao, C.,, Ciampaglia, G. L.,, Varol, O.,, Yang, K. C.,, Flammini, A., and Menczer, F.. ( 2018;), ‘ The spread of low-credibility content by social bots. ’, Nature Communications, 9:1, pp. 19.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Shin, J., and Thorson, K.. ( 2017;), ‘ Partisan selective sharing: The biased diffusion of fact-checking messages on social media. ’, Journal of Communication, 67:2, pp. 23355, https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12284. Accessed 18 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Singer, J. B.. ( 2020;), ‘ Border patrol: The rise and role of fact-checkers and their challenge to journalists’ normative boundaries. ’, Journalism, pp. 118, https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884920933137. Accessed 11 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Tompkins, J.. ( 2019;), ‘ Disinformation detection: A review of linguistic feature selection and classification models in news veracity assessments. ’, arXiv preprint arXiv:1910.12073, 26 October, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1910.12073. Accessed 10 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Uscinski, J. E., and Butler, R. W.. ( 2013;), ‘ The epistemology of fact checking. ’, Critical Review, 25:2, pp. 16280, https://doi.org/10.1080/08913811.2013.843872. Accessed 10 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Vosoughi, S.,, Roy, D., and Aral, S.. ( 2018;), ‘ The spread of true and false news online. ’, Science, 359, pp. 114651, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559. Accessed 10 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Walter, N.,, Cohen, J.,, Holbert, R. L., and Morag, Y.. ( 2020;), ‘ Fact-checking: A meta-analysis of what works and for whom. ’, Political Communication, 37:3, pp. 35075.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Wardle, C.. ( 2018;), ‘ The need for smarter definitions and practical, timely empirical research on information disorder. ’, Digital Journalism, 6:8, pp. 95163, https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2018.1502047. Accessed 14 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Wardle, C., and Derakhshan, H.. ( 2017), Information Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policy Making, Brussels:: Council of Europe Report;.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Weidner, K.,, Beuk, F., and Bal, A.. ( 2019;), ‘ Fake news and the willingness to share: A schemer schema and confirmatory bias perspective. ’, Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29:2, pp. 18087.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Wood, T., and Porter, E.. ( 2018;), ‘ The elusive backfire effect: Mass attitudes’ steadfast factual adherence. ’, Political Behavior, 41, pp. 13563, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-018-9443-y. Accessed 12 November 2021.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Valera-Ordaz, L.,, Requena-i-Mora, M.,, Calvo, D., and López-García, G.. ( 2022;), ‘ Unraveling disinformation: Notions and discourses from the Spanish population. ’, Comunicar, 72, pp. 2132. https://doi.org/10.3916/C72-2022-02. Accessed 22 September 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Vázquez-Herrero, J.,, Vizoso, Á., and López-García, X.. ( 2019;), ‘ Innovación tecnológica y comunicativa para combatir la desinformación: 135 experiencias para un cambio de rumbo. ’, El profesional de la información, 28:3, pp. 112.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Calvo, Dafne,, Valera-Ordaz, Lidia,, Requena i Mora, Marina, and Llorca-Abad, Germán. ( 2022;), ‘ Fact-checking in Spain: Perception and trust. ’, Catalan Journal of Communication & Cultural Studies, 14:2, pp. 287305, https://doi.org/10.1386/cjcs_00073_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/cjcs_00073_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/cjcs_00073_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): audiences; discussion groups; disinformation; fact-checkers; fake news; media
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error