“Our rivers are the dirtiest in Europe.” That is what Mieke Schauvliege (Groen) claimed in a TikTok video that circulated this January. During our fact check, experts and other sources made it clear to us that the statement was untrue. Yet that conclusion didn’t feel entirely fair. The inaccuracy of the claim lays mainly in…
Misinformation and disinformation aren’t new phenomena in our society, but in this digital age, they’ve become nearly impossible to escape. Every day, on every social media platform, fake news stories circulate faster than fact-checkers can debunk them. One viral post might claim that Starbucks sponsored a controversial political convention, while another spreads gossip about a…
News outlets have been facing the rise of fake news in the past couple of years. Audiences and especially younger audiences are starting to avoid news completely. The Reuters Institute found in its annual survey that more and more people are avoiding news because it feels too negative or too overwhelming. People are choosing what…
Fake news has always existed, but with the rise of the Internet and social media, it spreads today more quickly and widely than ever. For this reason, fact-checking — the verification of the accuracy of statements, declarations, images or news — has become more and more central in the modern information landscape. However, fact-checking can…
In the digital age, truth travels slower than rumor. Fact-checking initiatives can expose misinformation, but they face an unexpected obstacle: those who already believe the falsehoods rarely change their minds. Why doesn’t evidence always win over conviction? The contemporary information environment has transformed the way societies understand truth. While digital platforms have made access to…
It is indeed true that fact-checking political claims often seems like an impossible task. Politicians sometimes tend to twist facts, throw around accusations or take figures out ofcontext. Populist politicians are the best in this club, and they are the ones who make the fact checker’s job so much more difficult. But we must never…
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed!” These are the words that were blasting through the radio on Halloween in 1938. “War of the Worlds” interrupted the news bulletin and music to declare that aliens were invading the earth. It was theatrical, melodramatic and spectacular. You could call it…
Being first is one of the driving forces behind journalism. Beating the competition is what many journalists strive for, but that sometimes means the work is not done properly. This has consequences for the media in general, as it undermines public trust. Yet there is another way for journalists to distinguish themselves from the competition,…
Combating fake news involves more than simply checking facts; it requires careful consideration of when correction is helpful and when it is counterproductive. Due to the illusory truth effect, people often remember the core of a message, while the nuances fade. When you scroll through social media, it seems as if everyone is speaking at…
In recent years, vegan and vegetarian products have become more than just food choices, but the lifestyle statements. Supermarkets are filled with “eco-friendly,” “cruelty-free,” and “plant-based” labels that promise a greener, more ethical future. But behind these feel-good slogans lies a powerful marketing strategy that often simplifies complex environmental realities. The “green” image has become…