In the digital age, the prevalence of social media has made verifying the authenticity of violence in war news challenging. While user-generated content has disrupted news monopolies, credibility faces scrutiny due to anonymity, lack of professionalism, and subjectivity. Esteemed global media outlets like BBC and CNN are grappling with authenticating eyewitness images from mobile devices. They respond with fact-checking reports, deploying scientific methods to ensure content authenticity and offer 'objective' explanations. These reports have been disseminated globally, including in Taiwan. This study focuses on BBC Chinese's 'Reality Check' reports on the Bucha event, illustrating how BBC leverages 'fact-checking' to maintain its hegemonic position in 'truth-telling' from a witnessing viewpoint. The research reveals four key findings: (1) Fact-checking news emerges as a distinctive reporting form, refuting contentious information, similar to the role of a court defense attorney, utilizing scientific methods for accuracy and trust-building; (2) Machine witnessing is considered more advantageous than human witnessing, using 'unmediated' evidence like satellite imagery and photos, surpassing limitations such as human error; (3) News presentation resembles that of CSI programs, utilizing mechanical evidence, expert testimony, and the labeling of crucial evidence; and (4) Online fact-checking actively engages readers as witnesses, providing comprehensive insights through interactive features like scrolling, linked content, and eyewitness video reports on platforms such as YouTube. In conclusion, international media deploy 'fact-checking' to disseminate information, yet these reports may overlook information interpretation, relying on human judgment. Within the true-false dichotomy, they could serve as tools for maintaining Western hegemony.

Authors:
Yuling Lin, Shih Hsin University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Yuling Lin is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at Shih Hsin University in Taiwan

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