Fact-checked and half forgiven

The two mainstays of modern journalism are information and denial. A well-known adage reminds us that denial is also information but with the advent of fact-checking the verification of false information or misleading rumors has become much more than just information: it has become a legitimate practice within the journalism profession. It is interesting to ask why a verification practice that originated in the United States has become so much in the news in recent years when it is the very nature of journalism to verify information? This raises questions about the emergence and institutionalization of a new practice in a profession with well-defined norms and values such as journalism. This research file is based on four interviews with 'fact-checkers' journalists from Désintox (Libération) Décodeurs (Le Monde) AFP-Factuel (AFP) l'Émission Politique (l'Imprévu) as well as an interview with the head of the communication sector at the European Commission's Representation in France based in Paris