Mass Communication Commons^™

Where Do Facts Matter? The Digital Paradox In Magazines' Fact-Checking Practices, Susan Currie Sivek, Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin

Faculty Publications

Print magazines are unique among nonfiction media in their dedication of staff and resources to in-depth, word-by-word verification of stories. Over time, this practice has established magazines’ reputation for reliability, helped them retain loyal readers amid a glut of information sources, and protected them from litigation. But during the past decade, websites, mobile platforms, and social media have expanded the types of stories and other content that magazines provide readers. Doing so has shortened the time between the creation and dissemination of content, challenging and in some cases squeezing out fact-checkers’ participation. This study examines the procedures applied to stories …