The Phenomenon of (Political) Fact-Checking

Fact-Checking is a relatively recent media phenomenon that emerged in the early 2000s in the United States. Since then, it has developed into a distinct journalistic practice and format exercised all over the world. In some ways related to the internal procedures of media outlets to ensure the integrity of their publications (internal fact-checking), the notion of fact-checking discussed here—commonly termed external or political fact-checking—employs a significantly different focus.