In a world where misinformation is rampant, fact-checkers have become essential. But the long strides made in establishing independent teams to intercept political lies and dangerous hoaxes have recently slowed, according to the Duke Reporters’ Lab annual census of global fact-checking projects. The latest count puts the number of active fact-checkers at 417, verifying and debunking misinformation in more than 100 countries and 69 languages.
The number of new projects launched each year remains strong, and the overall tally continues to grow, despite the fact that some are struggling financially, and that more than a few have closed. Some of the slowdown is a natural consequence of growth, with many existing organizations now operating multiple fact-checking outlets or affiliates. And some of the stagnation may stem from difficulties launching in places where repressive governments, limited press freedom and safety concerns limit the scope of local fact-checking efforts.
As the field becomes more saturated, it’s important to understand what factors influence the likelihood that a person will post false information. To that end, the Reporters’ Lab asked participants to complete a survey in which they were asked to indicate whether they had posted online, or were likely to post, an incorrect statement. Then, we used t-tests and an OLS regression to determine the effect of their awareness of a fact-check, their experience with a fact-check, having content deleted from their account, congruence of their opinion with others and their level of FOI on their likelihood to post a false claim.