Search

The media have advanced rapidly in recent years, bringing with them new challenges, such as the need to acquire adequate training to be successful in today's global world. Since anyone can participate in public media communication, misinformation is an element that shapes today's society. This article focuses on the extent to which Czech teachers believe fake news and conspiracy theories. We conducted an online survey with a total of 2,155 teachers from all regions of the Czech Republic. The teachers assessed a total of 34 statements divided into three thematic groups: statements related to the European Union, statements related to the Covid-19 disease pandemic and statements focusing on well-known historical, cultural and social phenomena. More than half (61.14%) of Czech teachers were able to correctly judge the truthfulness of statements. Nevertheless, 15.59% of Czech teachers admit that they are not able to assess the statements in a relevant way, and only 10.41% believed some of the fake news or conspiration theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antivax movement is now a constant phenomenon with increasing social implications. This study explores how the antivax movement is articulated in Romania on the basis of qualitative analysis applied to interviews. Our pilot study focuses on the opinions of 100 persons who oppose vaccination interviewed between 2017 and 2020. We conducted both face-to-face and online semistructured interviews to trace the factors determining attitudes against vaccination. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first such extended study to target individuals rather than groups or media discourse. We strive to provide a multifaceted view on how the antivax phenomenon is taking shape. Responses varied in style and length, so we needed to systematize the narratives. We filtered the answers using the interpretive net described by Entman (1993), thereby grouping the main narratives into four sections. We then reconstructed the implicit frames used by individuals in interpreting their position. We consider content quality analysis to be a relevant method to reveal the facets and depth of the antivax phenomenon, thereby enabling more complex explanations. We compare the results of this study with rationales stemming from similar investigations conducted around the world and then highlight opinions specific to the Romanian public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social impact of misinformation in the network society, fueled by the effect of the so-called fake news, has awaken numerous warning lights in the second decade of the third millennium. The large number of messages that circulate through technological infrastructures and the strategies applied for them to achieve the greatest impact on social behavior have increased the complexity of the communicative ubiquity context. This situation has been interpreted by journalism as a threat to credibility and as a challenge to seek antidotes that offer answers to citizens interested in truthful information, through the cultivation of quality journalism. This article analyzes 135 fact-checking initiatives around the world and delves into the characterization of six selected cases. The results identify different models in the organization, the content and the verification formulae for a change of direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]