Covering news in times of crisis: the role of fact-checking

by Caterina Dassie

Journalists have always had to verify information, whether it is a picture, a source or data from an organization. Fact-checking is one of the pillars of journalism. Some circumstances, however, require journalists to be even more cautious, especially if ideas for stories come from the web, as working remotely from home and lockdowns become the daily routine.

The Reuters Institute, in collaboration with the University of Oxford published a report which analyses more than 200 pieces of false-evaluated or ambiguous information by fact-checkers circulating in English between January and March 2020. Some of the research highlights were the importance of fact-checking providers and how prominent public figures play a big role in spreading misinformation about the pandemic. 

Misinformation can be dangerous in times of crisis. This is where the role of journalism becomes crucial and journalists have to find better ways to fact-check what is on their hands to better fulfill the watchdog role for society and keep communities informed. 

Daniel Nolan, a Budapest-based journalist and European Press Prize laureate says that “speed is important, but in the time of Coronavirus accuracy is priority, so reporters should use multiple sources.”

Daniel Levitt, interactive journalist at The Guardian, agrees and adds: “If you’re not sure whether something is true, see if multiple credible websites have covered the same piece of news.”

“Speed is important, but in the time of Coronavirus accuracy is priority.”

While hoaxes have always existed, there has been a rise in numbers in recent months regarding the spread of Covid-19. Earlier in February the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the increasing amount of information available could have made it harder for people to actually understand the guidance on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the outbreak of the virus, social media platforms have been trying to better regulate the spread of false information.

Recently, platforms such as Twitter, Google and Facebook published a statement reporting how they will be working together to fight “fraud and misinformation about the virus”. At the beginning of the month, Google announced its support towards non-profit organizations like Full Fact, CORRECTIV and First Draft, which verify and check information.

Google News Initiative will make $6.5 million available to fund collaborative verification projects while supporting journalists with free tools and trainings to maintain the accuracy of their journalistic work. Google has also dedicated a Covid-19 trends dashboard allowing reporters to detect growing narratives around the topic or see which are the main questions readers have. Google Chrome also has an extension, Newsguard, which verifies credible news outlets. 

Meanwhile CrowdTangle, a Facebook analytics tool, has developed live displays on content published on social media which emphasizes information from credible sources like WHO and media outlets as well as providing an advanced search option to track information.

“Whatever you do, do not get your news from Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp.” Levitt advises journalists. “They’re all terrible for stopping the spread of fake information.” 

The common suggestion from journalists seems to be the old instinct of being skeptical.

“Journalists shouldn’t abandon news judgment and common sense,” says Alan Wheatley, former global economics correspondent for Reuters. “It’s better to be right and second with a story than wrong and first.”

Other types of initiatives have attempted to keep journalists correctly informed. The euvsdisinfo.eu, which focuses on Russian misinformation, has a weekly newsletter. In Hungary the Budapest-based think-tank Political Capital analyses fake news trends and flags up the fake stories and tropes being widely shared online.

Governments are also involved in trying to reduce the spread of misinformation. In Hungary, thanks to the recent amendment to its Civil Code by the Orbán government, spreading fake information is now a criminal offense punishable by one to five years in prison.

“We seem to be entering new territory,” says Nolan. “The amendment has already had an effect.”

So how can journalists come out of a pandemic, or ‘infodemic,’ as winners?

“Lockdown is a great opportunity for working journalists to learn to verify sources remotely and get to know the resources out there,” says Nolan. 

As reporters work together to overcome the challenges of a pandemic, more resources become available online.

Online courses such as the one provided by First Draft (‘Covering coronavirus: An online course for journalists’) help media outlets cope with the issue and suggest tools to journalists in order to detect misinformation and verify and monitor content online. Additionally, the training provides support to journalists by protecting their well-being while covering a crisis.  

AFP, a global news agency, has launched Busting Coronavirus Myths to fight false information. Meanwhile, the International Fact-Checking Network, made up of the collaboration between more than 100 fact-checkers from 39 countries, have made more than 3,000 fact-checks as of now. 

Despite the ‘infodemic,’ there are many tools available for journalists to verify information, and while media outlets are working under enormous pressure during this time of crisis, the current circumstances may have a positive repercussion for journalism once life goes back to normal. 

“I’m hoping the new working conditions for many journalists will be an excuse for a ‘market correction’ in the way we report and find story ideas,” says Levitt.

European Journalism in Times of Pandemic

By Margarida Teixeira

The world is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic, with Europe at its epicenter, is having an impact on every aspect of the daily lives of Europeans: from coping with social isolation and travel restrictions to adapting to remote working conditions, there is likely not a single person in Europe who has not been personally impacted by COVID-19.

As of March 20, the virus has claimed the lives of more than 8,000 people, most from China and Italy. Many European countries, from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe and the Balkans, are enforcing state of emergency. As the number of infected persons rises, experts predict the spread of the virus might only decelerate by May. Universities, schools, companies, factories and football leagues are ceasing operations across Europe and many fear a violent economic recession will ensue.

The 21st century undergoes its most critical moment so far: in a highly globalized and interconnected world, misinformation spreads like wildfire across social media. Today more than ever, reliable journalistic sources are crucial to understanding what exactly is going on. On the other hand, COVID-19 is also deeply impacting the work of journalists, and there is still uncertainty regarding the real extent of this disruption. 

A freelance journalist in Portugal who mostly covers events on the ground for a national daily newspaper said she is unable to perform her work. 

“The outings are increasingly limited, not because I am forced to stay home, but because the city is working half-heartedly, so I cannot even explore potential reporting topics if there are no people,” she said.

She predicts the COVID-19 pandemic will also hit newspapers financially. Sales will most likely be affected not only due to people being unable to buy newspapers, but also because most media outlets are unable to cover other topics and diversify content. 

“A newspaper cannot live only on these [COVID-19] contents,” she said.

She is also aware of how freelancing can expose journalists to the virus and the delicate position they are in. 

“If I am infected at work, I do not have health insurance. If I have to stop working, I do not get paid. So, I will continue working and try to take as many precautions as possible”. 

As for Katy Fallon, a journalist in Greece who mostly covers issues related to health and refugees, the risk of infecting vulnerable populations living without basic sanitation has caused her to shift to communicating through WhatsApp instead of face-to-face. Avoiding in-person communication has its consequences, but for now staying in isolation and keeping sources safe are her priorities.

“I am in a low-risk group, in my twenties, but there is a real possibility I could give it to someone,” Fallon said. “We have a duty as journalists to report, but we also have a duty of care to those we are reporting on.” 

The expected economic and financial impact of COVID-19 is also a concern, particularly for freelance journalists and those with precarious contracts. 

“This is going to impact a lot of our work; freelancing is always more tenuous,” Fallon said. “Every downturn of the economy affects us first.” 

As the following months of work remain unpredictable, Fallon hopes media outlets employing freelancers on casual contracts are able to pay on time.

Both journalists, like many others in Europe, are unsure about how the general public can support media structures at this time. Fallon, still uncertain of how to aid freelance journalists, urged for the provision of “support structures where we can all still do the best job we can reporting in this really uncertain climate.”

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the importance of reliable and rigorous information. Many organizations are supporting journalists covering COVID-19, such as the Global Investigative Journalism Network, mainly by offering resources and guidelines, though journalists covering other topics may have limited options.