Fact Checking Not Perfect But Better Than Alternatives

Michael Hedges January 24, 2022 - Follow on Twitter

Meant to combat fake news and disinformation fact-checking portals have sprung up in many countries. Typically, these are designed to spot and debunk fake news as well as calling out the shameful sources. The internet being what it is, occasionally the fact checkers are actually more fake news. With people living in information silos, the value of fact-checking has been called into some question.

Hungary now has a fact-checking portal: Lakmusz hu went live earlier this month. The name is Hungarian for litmus. The team is small but impressive. Chief editor Zöldi Blanka from Hungarian investigative reporting portal Direkt36 is joined by Nóra Diószegi-Horváth former chief editor at Mérce and Eszter Neuberger and Péter Erdélyi from 444 hu. It is supported by the European Commission’s Hungarian Digital Media Observatory (HDMO), contracted to publisher Magyer Jeti (news portal 444 hu and science portal Qubit) with contributions from major news agency AFP and the Media Universalis Foundation. European Commission vice president Vera Jourová first announced the project last autumn, reported Hungary Today (October 28).

“We look at whether there is evidence and data behind each allegation,” said the team to news portal HVG (January 11). “What we find will be shown to readers, regardless of who made the original statement, and whether the facts we uncovered refute or confirm it. It’s not our job to tell anyone what to think, what to believe, what decisions to make. However, we want to help as many people as possible to be able to evaluate what is happening in Hungary and the world on the basis of reliable, verified information.”

“We have seen many attempts by governments to interfere in the media, undermine their independence, and therefore distort the market,” said VP Jourová in an address to the European Parliament. “The creation of KESMA, this foundation bringing together hundreds of pro-government media outlets in Hungary and now receiving most of the state advertising in the country. It is difficult to see how any new player, national or from another European country, could thrive in such an environment.”

Over the last decade, the country has been awash in fake news and information either from state-capture of Hungarian news media by the populist, nativist government or disinformation directly from government agencies. Worries have become acute with the coronavirus pandemic, now “rampant,” reported news portal Portfolio hu (January 20). And, too, Hungary is headed into parliamentary elections this spring (April 3) offering a potential alternative to right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban.

Doubts about the effectiveness of fact-checking in Hungary were raised by Mertek Media Monitor advisor Gábor Polyák to newspaper Népszava (January 14). “The messages will not reach the supporters of (PM Orban’s political party) Fidesz. Public life is so divided that government camp is not even curious about other opinions.” Government-friendly media outlets, however, have noticed critcizing the fact-checker as foreign influenced. “They (Lakmusz) have now been tasked, among other things, with scattering the statements of political opponents in search of (fake news) and relativizing the reality with which they are the ones who are misleading the public,” wrote pro-government Magyar Nemzet (January 13).

AFP has initiated several fact-checking projects around the world. The news agency launched fact checking bureaus in Hungary and Romania last year and recently began Arabic-language services. Regarding Lakmusz in Hungary, deputy director for Europe Yacine Le Forestier said “the project is not about having a conflict with authorities or criticising the government,” quoted by Euractiv (January 12).

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