Haiyue Zhang, a fourth-year PhD student in CAMRI, supervised by Dr. Xin Xin and Dr. Dimitris Boucas, has recently published a peer-reviewed article based on her PhD research on fact-checking journalism in China in the Asian Journal of Communication. She plans to submit her dissertation by the end of September.

ABSTRACT

This study investigates how fact-checking journalism in China presents the principle of transparency. Fact-checking is considered one of the effective strategies for combating fake news, and maintaining transparency in the news production process to build public trust. Facing declining advertising revenue due to the rise of social media and stricter censorship from the Chinese government, Chinese commercial news outlets must both adopt a more pro-government stance to ensure their survival and enhance their credibility to compete with social media for audience attention. Based on semi-structured interviews with five fact-checkers working at fact-checking organisations within Chinese commercial media, the study finds that, Chinese fact-checkers employ proactive, normative transparency to demonstrate professionalism while integrating passive, strategic transparency to adapt to their political circumstances. This study contributes to the global debate on transparency in fact-checking journalism, particularly within the restricted political context of non-Western countries, thereby enriching the global fact-checking network. Additionally, it provides insights into the digital transformation practices within China’s journalistic ecosystem.