Introducción: La verificación de la información supone un reto democrático especialmente en periodos de excepcionalidad y crisis. Objetivo: Analizar el tipo de bulos identificados durante la pandemia del COVID-19 según su temática, fecha de verificación, canales de distribución, intencionalidad, viralización en otros países e identificación de sus promotores. Metodología: Se han analizado 166 bulos reportados por la organización Maldita.es a la plataforma de verificación colaborativa LatamChequea desde el 14 de febrero al 15 abril de 2020. Resultados: Entre los principales resultados destaca la alta presencia de bulos en torno a contagios y medidas de prevención. Conclusiones: El aumento de la desinformación se desarrolla en paralelo a la evolución de la pandemia, destaca la viralización de los bulos mediante redes sociales y servicios de mensajería instantánea, además de su alcance internacional y la alta dificultad para identificar a sus promotores.

El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar el uso de Twitter por parte de Verificado México durante la campaña electoral mexicana de 2018. El proyecto, conocido como VerificadoMX 2018, reunió un equipo de más de 90 medios de comunicación y organizaciones que se asociaron para verificar información sobre un proceso electoral que comenzó el 29 de marzo y terminó el 27 de junio de 2018. A partir del análisis de los 3116 tuits publicados desde la cuenta en Twitter de VerificadoMx se propone una tipología de rumores y verificaciones para el estudio de las campañas electorales. Del estudio de la cuenta de Twitter de VerificadoMX debemos destacar que hay que distinguir dos momentos concretos que aceleran la verificación de hechos y discursos: los debates electorales y la jornada electoral. Por otra parte, se puede diferenciar entre rumores de precampaña, campaña y postcampaña.

Este artículo analiza el contenido de los bulos electorales identificados por los fact-checkers (o verificadores de datos) Maldita y Newtral, utilizando co...

Fact-checking alliances emerged worldwide to debunk political disinformation in electoral contexts because of social concerns related to information authenticity. This study, thus, included the Latin American context in fact-checking journalism studies as a journalistic practice to fight political disinformation. Through analyzing RedCheq, the first fact-checking journalism alliance in an electoral regional context led by Colombiacheck, 11 in-depth interviews were conducted to identify the perceptions of regional fact-checkers regarding the usefulness of this journalistic practice, its achievements, and the key aspects for incorporating fact-checking into the regional media ecosystem. The study results revealed that RedCheq achieved the goal of fighting disinformation, and that fact-checking developed as transformational leverage for the regional media. Regional journalists perceived fact-checking as an element that restores credibility and social trust in regional media as the epistemology of this journalistic practice neglects the power pressure and dissemination of official narratives. Finally, this study highlighted how fact-checking journalism contributes to the democratic quality and civic empowerment in silenced and polarized environments. In addition, it discussed the need to expand fact-checking journalism’s coverage to new geographical areas and improve journalists’ professional competencies and training, thereby enabling them to function as using verification tools based on regional journalists’ requirements.

Fact-checking journalism has become a common practice to counteract misinformation. This research analyzes the perceptions of fact-checkers in Ibero-America on the purposes, principles, and challenges of fact-checking. Specifically, we studied if there are differences in perception based on adherence to the International Fact-Checking Network’s (IFCN) Code of Principles, how frequently fact-checkers perform fact-checks, as well as their experience and age. Data were collected through a questionnaire that received 122 responses from fact-checkers in 17 countries. Results indicate that journalists’ experience appears to be a variable that can help understand the boundaries between fact-checking and political and social activism in Ibero-America. Less-experienced fact-checkers were more likely to consider activism to be a purpose of fact-checking. Age was a predictive factor for explaining reformist perceptions of the essence of fact-checking in Ibero-America, with younger fact-checkers more likely to state that the purpose of fact-checking is to uphold the ideals of journalism and serve as a commitment to information transparency. Pledging to adhere to IFCN’s Code of Principles was found to facilitate the use and analysis of fact-checking tools. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The role of artificial intelligence and its place in the new disinformation strategies is perhaps one of the most difficult issues to focus on nowadays, since we are at the beginning of a process of definition and ways of exploration. In this paper, first of all, we analyze the different approaches that are being applied to the regulation of artificial intelligence and that may affect the different disinformation strategies that are being identified. Secondly, we study how artificial intelligence is being used to identify disinformation content. In this regard, from the point of view of verification processes, one of the main challenges is when identifying deepfakes (images and video, mainly) linked to news cycles. From this perspective, a typology of deepfakes is proposed and its main characteristics will be described according to the verifications carried out by the Spanish fact-checking organizations. Finally, a set of recommendations will be presented to work from a media literacy point of view with the identification of deepfakes.