Fact-checking in war: Types of hoaxes and trends from a year of disinformation in the Russo-Ukrainian war = Fact-checking bélico: Tipos de bulos y tendencias de un año de desinformación en la guerra entre Rusia y Ucrania Articles uri icon

publication date

  • October 2023

start page

  • e320520

issue

  • 5

volume

  • 32

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1386-6710

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1699-2407

abstract

  • This study explores the verification of the contents related to the coverage of the Russo-Ukrainian war during the first year of the conflict. We address the analysis of false information collected from the EDMO database by the Spanish fact-checking organizations: AFP Factual and Comprovem, EFE Verifica, RTVE Verifica, Maldita.es, Newtral and Verificat. Based on the results obtained, a typology has been established to identify the style, format and content of the misinformation under study. In this way, we follow the main trends in the manipulation dynamics that shaped the media coverage of the latest war in European territory. In total, up to 307 verifications by verifiers working in the Spanish context are analyzed. Unlike the hoaxes related to the origin of the coronavirus, in which the preferred format was the text message,
    in the invasion of Ukraine visual evidence has prevailed in the media coverage of the conflict during the initial phase of the conflict. We will see which are the social networks in which the greatest traffic and viralization of false news is detected, exposing users to manipulative content to a greater extent. Likewise, the potential implementation of a transnational network to combat disinformation in war contexts will be assessed. We will pay special attention to the important
    role of Spanish fact-checkers both at the European level and in identifying false information, avoiding its dissemination in Latin America. And, finally, we will detect the new challenges that war fact-checking faces, as a result of the evolution of falsification strategies in the construction of the collective narrative about the Russo-Ukrainian war in the post-truth era. = Se explora la verificación de los contenidos sobre la guerra ruso-ucraniana durante el primer año del conflicto. Abordaremos el análisis de las verificaciones recogidas desde la base de datos del EDMO por las organizaciones de fact-checking españolas: AFP Factual y Comprovem, EFE Verifica, RTVE Verifica, Maldita.es, Newtral y Verificat. A partir de los resultados obtenidos, se establece una tipología para identificar el estilo, formato y contenido de las desinformaciones objeto de estudio. De este modo, se reconocen las tendencias principales en las dinámicas de manipulación y propaganda que han marcado la cobertura mediática de la invasión rusa en Ucrania. En total se analizan hasta 307 verificaciones realizadas por los verificadores que trabajan en el contexto español. A diferencia de los bulos relacionados con el origen del coronavirus, en los que el formato preferente era el mensaje de texto, en la invasión a Ucrania la evidencia visual ha prevalecido en la cobertura mediática del conflicto durante la fase inicial de la contienda. Se identifican también cuáles son las redes sociales en las que se detecta un mayor tráfico y viralización de informaciones falsas, exponiendo a los usuarios a contenidos manipulados en mayor medida. Asimismo, se valorará la posible puesta en marcha de una red transnacional para combatir la desinformación en contextos de guerra. Prestaremos especial atención al importante papel de los fact-checkers españoles tanto a nivel europeo como al identificar informaciones falsas evitando su difusión en Latinoamérica. Y, por último, detectaremos los nuevos retos a los que se enfrenta el fact-checking bélico, a raíz de la evolución de las estrategias de falsificación en la construcción del relato colectivo sobre la guerra ruso-ucraniana en la era de la posverdad.

    PALABRAS CLAVE
    Alfabetización mediática; Bulos; Cobertura informativa;Desinformación; Fact-checking bélico; Fake news; Fact-checkers; Verificación; Infoxicación; Periodismo de guerra; Propaganda; Guerra; Ucrania; Rusia.

    ABSTRACT
    This study explores the verification of the contents related to the coverage of the Russo-Ukrainian war during the first year of the conflict. We address the analysis of false information collected from the EDMO database by the Spanish fact-checking organizations: AFP Factual and Comprovem, EFE Verifica, RTVE Verifica, Maldita.es, Newtral and Verificat. Based on the results obtained, a typology has been established to identify the style, format and content of the misinformation under study. In this way, we follow the main trends in the manipulation dynamics that shaped the media coverage of the latest war in European territory. In total, up to 307 verifications by verifiers working in the Spanish context are analyzed. Unlike the hoaxes related to the origin of the coronavirus, in which the preferred format was the text message, in the invasion of Ukraine visual evidence has prevailed in the media coverage of the conflict during the initial phase of the conflict. We will see which are the social networks in which the greatest traffic and viralization of false news is detected, exposing users to manipulative content to a greater extent. Likewise, the potential implementation of a transnational network to combat disinformation in war contexts will be assessed. We will pay special attention to the important role of Spanish fact-checkers both at the European level and in identifying false information, avoiding its dissemination in Latin America. And, finally, we will detect the new challenges that war fact-checking faces, as a result of the evolution of falsification strategies in the construction of the collective narrative about the Russo-Ukrainian war in the post-truth era.
    KEYWORDS
    Media literacy, Hoaxes, News coverage, Disinformation, Warlike fact-checking, Fake news, Fact-checkers, Verification, Infoxication, War journalism, Propaganda, Wars, Ukraine, Russia

subjects

  • Information Science

keywords

  • alfabetización mediática; bulos; cobertura informativa; desinformación; fact-checking bélico; fake news; fact-checkers; verificación; infoxicación; periodismo de guerra; propaganda; guerra; ucrania; rusia; media literacy; hoaxes; news coverage; disinformation; warlike fact-checking; fake news; fact-checkers; verification; infoxication; war journalism; propaganda; wars; ukraine; russia