Fake news and fact-checking: Combating misinformation and disinformation in Canadian newsrooms and journalism schools

This exploratory study investigates how the global COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted fact-checking to combat misinformation and disinformation in Canadian journalism. Specifically, this work investigates how Canadian journalists and journal-ism educators may be approaching fact-checking (both ante hoc, or editorial, and post hoc) to respond to more forms of misinformation and disinformation. Through expert in-depth interviews ( n = 14) with Canadian journalism educators, reporters, and newsroom leaders, this analysis sketches an initial understanding of the place of fact-checking in Canadian journalism practice and pedagogy. This initial study offers five tentative findings from our expert interviews: (1) while the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for more fact-checking, Canadian journalists and journalism educators believe the worldwide health crisis was not the sole trigger for an increased focus on fact-checking in Canadian journalism and journalism education; (2) over the last decade, Canadian journalism schools may have increased their focus on fact-checking and verification teaching; (3) while Canadian newsroom leaders want their journalists to have solid fact-checking and verification skills to combat concerns about information integrity, they are concerned about the skills new graduates bring to the job; (4) Canadian journal-ists and journalism educators believe ante hoc or editorial and post hoc fact-checking should play a more significant role in Canadian journalism; and (5) while there is concern about the efficacy of post hoc fact-checking (whether it corrects misconceptions), Canadian journalists and journalism educators appear committed to the practice because of normative and democratic ideals surrounding truth and information integrity. Moreover