How Print and Online News Journalists Manage Political Fake News

• In Event: Poster Session: New Research in Information Technology and Politics & Canadian Politics
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: New Research in Information Technology & Politics

Abstract

This paper examines how Irish political journalists, working for both traditional newspapers and an online news website, deal with the problem of fake news. The aim here is to gain an understanding of what the journalists’ perception of political fake news in Ireland is and the methods they employ to manage it - a sorely under researched topic. Our findings show that the journalists we spoke with feel that there are a range of forms that fake news assumes, many of them insidious and challenging to manage and to overcome with the facts. The paper highlights the important role that journalists play in confronting political fake news. It is also clear from the journalists’ perceptions that fake news is a chronic problem as social media platforms, that serve as a major medium for its spread, become ever more ubiquitous in our daily lives.

Author

• John W. Hogan, Technological University Dublin