Fact-Checking and Audience Engagement: A Study of Content Analysis and Audience Behavioral Data of Fact-Checking Coverage from News Media

This study examined (a) what message variations characterize news articles that fact-check (mis)information (N = 914) and (b) how those message features shape audience engagement with the articles. The study content-analyzed fact-checking coverage from major news outlets in South Korea using both manual and computerized coding, focusing on three categories of message characteristics: source transparency, contextual information, and vividness. The content-analysis data were examined in relation to behavioral data of audience engagement (“like” and “angry” reactions, shares, and comments) on Naver News, the most popular news portal in South Korea. Using statistics and official reports as evidence and specifying when the claim at hand was made facilitated audience engagement behaviors. News articles triggered more audience comments when they (a) mentioned the importance of fact-checking the claim under scrutiny, and (b) conveyed negative content. Findings are discussed in light of the empirical and practical implications of the current efforts to fight “fake news” by news media.