HKBU launches fact-checking service to fight fake news

Description

HONG KONG - The School of Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) launched the HKBU FactCheck Service on Tuesday, aiming to provide an authoritative, professional and impartial fact-checking service amidst the proliferation of fake news, and to improve the public's media literacy in the digital era.

Subject

It is the first research-based, systematic fact-checking service launched and operated by an independent academic institution in Hong Kong.

The pilot run of the service involving manual fact-checking was carried out in September. Selected suspicious content appearing in popular online and social media platforms in Hong Kong were identified for investigation by the project team. The topics covered politics, business, health, science and other social issues. Results of the fact-checking were shared on the service's website and social media platforms.

The service will be further enhanced with the launch of the BU FactCheck app. Media professionals will be invited to register for the app, act as contributors and participate in the fact-checking process of information carried in viral posts. The app is soon available for the public to receive up to date fact-checking results.