Fact-Checking and Information Verification in the Context of Journalism Education

Abstract

The article, being a part of a major study into fake news phenomenon, fact checking and information verification, analyzes the issues related to journalism education in the context of the increasing amount of fake news. The topicality of the study is determined by the fact that journalism education is failing to comply with the ever-changing requirements of the mass media market. Moreover, in the current era of information wars, post-truth, and social media regarded as sources of news, teaching future journalists to check facts and verify information is one of the primary demands of the mass media market. The study involved interviewing lecturers, students and specialists in media industry; the original results of the study add to its scientific novelty. The authors aimed at searching for cutting-edge practices to train skills of fact checking and verification. The results of the study indicate the necessity of introducing these practices into the academic process of training journalists, contribute to the research database in the field of journalism and the education, and provide for bridging the gap between universities and the media in terms of professional requirements for journalists.