Disinformation and Fact-Checking in the Face of Natural Disasters: A Case Study on Turkey–Syria Earthquakes

Natural disasters linked to contexts of unpredictability and surprise generate a climate of uncertainty in the population, resulting in an exponential increase in disinformation. These are crisis situations that cause the management of public and governmental institutions to be questioned, diminish...

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Published inSocieties (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 14; no. 4; p. 43
Main Authors Méndez-Muros, Sandra, Alonso-González, Marián, Pérez-Curiel, Concha
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.04.2024
Subjects
Algorithms
Assistance in emergencies
Case studies
Content analysis
crisis management
Disinformation
Earthquakes
Emergency assistance
Fact checking
False information
Information sources
Intentionality
Natural disasters
News
News media
political communication
Population growth
Privacy
Public officials
Seismic activity
Social networks
Social organization
Verification
Syria
Turkey
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Summary:Natural disasters linked to contexts of unpredictability and surprise generate a climate of uncertainty in the population, resulting in an exponential increase in disinformation. These are crisis situations that cause the management of public and governmental institutions to be questioned, diminish citizens’ trust in the media, and reinforce anonymity in social networks. New digital algorithms create a scenario plagued by fake news and levels of viralization of rumors never before contemplated. Our objective is to analyze the verification capacity of fact-checking agencies at X at times of information disorder, such as the Turkey–Syria earthquakes in 2023. We apply a mixed methodology of comparative content analysis to government, news agency, and IFCN accounts, generating a general sample (n = 46,747) that is then subjected to thematic categorization to create a specific sample (n = 564). The results indicate a low commitment to fact-checking on the part of official bodies and news agencies, as opposed to fact-checking agencies’ accurate handling of the facts. The lack of debate and engagement generated by digital audiences in the face of the discursive intentionality of disinformation is significant.
ISSN:2075-4698
2075-4698
DOI:10.3390/soc14040043