What's the Future of Fact-Checking in Journalism and Media?

In an era where misinformation can spread rapidly across various media, we've gathered insights from editors, media, and content professionals to explore what the future of fact-checking in journalism could look like. From the pivotal role of AI in detecting misinformation to the potential of blockchain technology to enhance media authenticity, these 18 diverse perspectives help shine a light on what's to come.

Always Keeping a Human in the Loop

Going straight to the source of information will always remain the centerpiece of fact-checking, but there is a growing potential for altered information with AI. Technology like natural language processing can alter, distort, and produce misinformation that is detrimental to society. Ironically, AI models like GANs (generative adversarial networks) will be necessary to detect deepfakes. It creates a delicate cycle that humans must never pull themselves out of.

Keegan King, Editor, BCCN3

Automated Fact-Checking's Future

As an editor of 10+ years, the future of fact-checking has never looked more automated. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, digital journalism has seen the renewed advent of AI-based fact-checking: Google's emphasis on their Digital News Innovation Fund, ChatGPT being used as an unofficial fact-checker, and pages of AI tools being touted as "credibility checkers" all entice journalists to use these platforms as fact-checking shortcuts... despite today's AI being notoriously factually inaccurate.

While the dependence on (and popularity of using) AI to check facts will only continue to grow as journalists strive to meet increasingly tight deadlines, we should all be watching how this potentially shifts the digital journalism landscape towards one with a higher rate of retractions and post-publication amendments.

Emma Sloan, Copywriter and Editor, The Wee Writer

AI Detectors Aid Fact-Checkers

The future of fact-checking is certainly going to be challenging, all with the advent of CGI videos, generative AI, and deepfakes. The process of fact-checking is evolving, and fact-checkers are seen referring to AI detectors in their copy. Journalists and fact-checkers currently utilize a combination of a few basic tools and their own intelligence to debunk misinformation and disinformation. However, as AI technology continues to advance, there will be an array of AI detectors in the future that will be available to fact-checkers. Additionally, physical verification will continue to play a crucial role in photo, video, audio, and written content. When synthetic media becomes more prevalent on the internet, tracing the person who clicked a picture, filmed the video, shared the audio, or even wrote a piece will become a topic of concern. Finding 'patient zero,' 'the source,' will be the primary objective of fact-checkers in the future.

Ankita Deshkar, Fact-checker, deputy copy editor, The Indian Express

Human-Centric Information Exploration

In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to separate correct information from misinformation and disinformation. The proliferation of internet bots and artificial intelligence, in particular, has affected how editors must carefully parse accurate information from misleading claims. I believe the future of fact-checking in digital journalism must rely on human-centered exploration of information sources and their content. While technology has evolved at an exponential rate, I would argue that the future of fact-checking in digital journalism must place increased focus and resources on professional staff directly investigating claims and information, as opposed to relying on outsourcing tasks to other digital platforms.

Dan Ziebarth, Editor-in-Chief, Greater European Journal

Preventing Bias in AI

Just like the future of everything else, fact-checking is going to be automated and powered by AI. Automated fact-checkers will create a gold standard for legitimate journalism. However, the waters could get murky, depending on how the AI is coded. If the AI strays from the path of factual information in favor of bias, no standard will be established.

When it comes to different types of media in journalism, AI is well on its way to being able to scan video and audio, translate that to text, and process it accordingly. Google Search AI will have this ability as well, and video/audio searches will become much more streamlined.

Bill Mann, Privacy Expert at Cyber Insider, Cyber Insider

Generative AI's Impact on Media

I believe, with the rising popularity of generative AI and significant development taking place in the sector, a new era is ushering in the media industry—an era in which Gen AI will present tremendous opportunities on the one hand and challenges on the other. This transformation in the media space will definitely impact fact-checking. On the one hand, there is excitement about AI tools helping fact-checkers debunk deepfakes and scale up operations at a rapid pace. On the other hand, there is also apprehension about the impact that AI will have on people. AI will lead to an increase in general skepticism and also provide an opportunity for maleficent actors to evade responsibility by blaming a piece of content for being AI-generated. At present, proving whether a photo, video, or audio is AI-generated or not is a big challenge. However, I believe in the future, fact-checkers will possess tools that can determine whether content is AI-generated or not.

Harish Nair, Managing Editor (India), Fact Crescendo

Upholding Journalistic Integrity

The future of fact-checking in digital journalism remains as it always has been: get it right. What's to evolve? Print or digital, readers expect news organizations to provide them with the truth. An organization's reputation absolutely depends on it. It's a life-or-death proposition for a news company, and it can't be outsourced to AI.

Clayton Pennington, Editor, Maine Antique Digest

Fact-Checking Efficiency

We're at a pivotal moment where AI and machine learning are transforming the essence of fact-checking. The development of Automated Fact-Checking systems, or AFCs, is particularly thrilling. They're doing the heavy lifting by swiftly pinpointing and correcting misinformation before it has a chance to spread. This blend of cutting-edge technology and human discernment is setting the stage for a new era in journalism—faster, more accurate, and incredibly insightful.

Take the recent incident with the manipulated photos of the British royal family, for example. It perfectly illustrates the complexities we face in today's AI-flecked reality we're living in. This incident underscores the urgent need for sophisticated tools to verify the authenticity of images and information. It's an exciting time to witness how we're adapting and overcoming these challenges, ensuring integrity and trust in the information we consume. It's not just about countering misinformation but about fostering a well-informed society.

Sagarika Biswas, Senior Content Editor, GeeksforGeeks

Journalists Must Research Independently

Fact-checking has and will always be evolving, but that is partly what inspires us as journalists. In order to get the real facts, you must do your own research and not rely solely on hearsay, social media, or the internet. I'm considered to be a 'Google Guru' because I've always been one to dig for the facts in my favorite and most reliable source, Google. The most accurate way to fact-check now and in the future is by utilizing the real-time audio connections and relationships you've built within the media world. Once you've collected the info, you must compare those answers to Google Fact Check Explorer (or your favorite source) and find a happy medium from those sources for your articles. I predict there will be tons of new apps for 'fact-checking,' but our job as journalists will always be to do our own research and report as accurately as possible on the cold, hard facts.

Misty Schwartz, Editor, Schwartz Entertainment Media Group

Videos Lead in Fact-Verification

Personally, I feel videos will perform better for fact-checking instead of photos or audio because of the level to which they can be edited. On the other hand, videos provide enough visuals to fact-check news and decide if it has been manipulated or not. It can be identified by the visuals, sounds, and effects in the videos.

As an editor, I see a collaboration of tech experts and journalists teaming up in the future to keep the fact-checking on point. Tech experts understand the level of manipulation that can be done to videos, and journalists can match it with the data provided to them. This evolution is surely going to ensure what we see is true.

Julia Lozanov, Chief Editor at, Verpex

Advanced and Affordable Fact-Checking with the Written Word

We currently fact-check manually and see the future of fact-checking as 100% AI-driven. The written word is low-hanging fruit, so for us, it will start with written journalism. We see written journalism fact-checking as the most advanced and affordable AI. I'm sure we will review the AI findings extensively at the start, but not unlike other technologies—for example, compliance review systems in financial services—we will spot-check once we feel we have fine-tuned our algorithm.

Mark Cohen, Managing Editor, Loyalty Alliance, Inc

Fact-Checking Amidst Misinformation Surge

The advancement of fact-checking technology is simplifying its implementation, yet the prevailing truth remains: Our world is increasingly inundated with misinformation and unreliable sources. Fact-checking plays a crucial role in maintaining accuracy within documentaries and other news mediums. While AI facilitates faster and more efficient fact-checking processes, the challenge lies in the growing difficulty of distinguishing truth from falsehood amid the surge of misinformation. It is incumbent upon all of us to rigorously scrutinize sources and quotations, leveraging every available tool to combat misinformation effectively. A significant part of this challenge stems from the blurred line between expertise and mere opinion, as evidenced by non-expert contributors often mistaken for authorities in current news discourse. Fact-checking, bolstered by AI, emerges as a pivotal solution in swiftly discerning between reality and fabrication.

Bill Marmor, Editor, Rex edit

Peer-Review System for Journalism

With the sheer amount of information being generated today, especially with the rise of AI, some see automation as the only way to fact-check at scale. Given the fact AI is far from being 100% correct with the information it provides, it's easy to see how this is an avenue that leads nowhere.

Having worked in academia a while ago, I came to the conclusion that journalism needs a peer-review system similar to what is used in scientific research. In essence, all important news could be fact-checked by other journalists.

A very brief summary or list of conclusions could be added to a news item in a centralized system. Then, when another publication writes about the same topic, it could embed in the article page, at the end, this conclusion, with a link back to the centralized entry, where readers can verify the authenticity of the information provided.

Ionut-Alexandru Popa, Editor in Chief and CEO, JPG MEDIA SRL

Finding Misinformation Not Visible to the Naked Eye

Using just critical thinking as a distinctly human (or anti-AI) tool would mean we lost the race before we even started running, so fact-checking needs to be AI-driven rather than manual. One reason is the sheer scale of content that needs to be checked—in fact, every single piece of content that's being created. Another reason is technology that's indiscernible to the naked eye, as many deepfakes already are. 'Fake' is probably easiest to detect in written journalism: you can relatively easily spot it using just conventional research, or you can fall back on traditional legacy media. But that's why the main battlefield is auditory-visual media, especially social.

Jelena Ciric, Content Editor, BG Electrical & Air Con

Setting Fact-Checking Standards

Fact-checking distinguishes professional media from those that prioritize sensationalism and clickbait.

I manage the development of our company's online magazines across a dozen countries, and fact-checking tops our editorial checklist. In every article — and we produce approximately 100 articles monthly across various countries — we rely on verified sources, including leading research centers, institutes, and analytical reports from the Big Four. This approach ensures our content remains relevant and up-to-date, fostering reader loyalty rather than merely generating easy website traffic.

My advice to journalists and editors is as follows:

• Enrich content with verified data, including case studies, statistics, and research findings.
• Always provide a link to the original data source.
• Thoroughly investigate each issue or trend. Don't limit yourself to a single resource; analyze multiple sources before forming a conclusion.

I believe fact-checking is crucial for the future of responsible journalism. Without it, media outlets risk losing their substance.

Julia Dryn, Global Chief Editor, Laba

Fact-checking Using AI Depends on the Creator

With the rise of AI, I expect the fact-checking part to be heavily dependent on AI-powered tools. A final touch-up by a human might still be needed, but AI is good at gathering factual data, and it's only expected to improve over the years to come. Having worked on the assessment of AI-generated factual reports, I am really confident in the ability of AI to determine the correctness of factual data. Having said that, AI tools work based on their creators' rules. It means that the result might also depend on the limitations and principles set by their authors, who would need to be 100% unbiased to ensure an objective judgment.

Liga Vasila, Chief Editor, FoodyWise.com Blog

Community-Driven Fact-Checking Trends

We can expect the future of journalism to be decentralized and community-driven.

Mainstream media is losing its steam and trust with the general public, as it's pretty obvious that information is manipulated.

Tech—and social-savvy users are already using social media platforms like X and Reddit for their news. Platforms like X have features like community notes that act as a self-regulating fact-checker.

If Web3 does see mass adoption, whistleblowing could be incentivized in exchange for financial rewards.

Brendan Aw, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, brendanaw.com

Blockchain Enhances Media Authenticity

Blockchain technology presents a promising solution for protecting the authenticity and integrity of media content across all formats. It can be used to establish tamper-proof digital signatures that authenticate the origin and fidelity of images, videos, audio recordings, and written reports. This holds great potential in enhancing fact-checking processes by providing verifiable chains of custody and allowing readers to independently verify the credibility of journalistic content. Exploring how this technology can bolster fact-checking and uphold journalistic standards in a digital age is significant.

Matias Rodsevich, Founder, PRHive