Abstract
This master thesis studies how the issue of fact-checking has evolved in the Norwegian public debate. This thesis looks into the matter of how fact-checking became an issue in Norway. The public debate on fact-checking escalated particularly after the announcement of a new fact-checking mechanism in Norway March 21st, 2017. The new fact-checking mechanism is a collaborative project between the large media organizations Dagbladet, Verdens Gang (VG), Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and TV 2. This collaborative project is named Faktisk.no, and it operates through an online website where fact-checks are published. According to Faktisk.no, the aim is to improve the quality of the public debate in Norway, by fact-checking statements that are trending, and additionally to provide emphasis on critical awareness towards the sources of online news. This thesis aims at studying how different actors from different sites of action engage in the issue of fact-checking in Norway. The different sites for action that have been followed to study the issue of fact-checking in Norway are the fact-checkers from Faktisk.no, the digital platform of Faktisk.no, journalists, politicians, and the public engaging with the issue. This thesis builds on a combination of methods. In-depth interviews, virtual observation, and document analysis have been conducted to study how actors engage with the issue putting forward their interests. This thesis explores how the fact-checking mechanism Faktisk.no originated, and how the project was initiated and organized. Furthermore, this thesis explores how the need for a fact-checking mechanism was justified, and how other actors in the network of fact-checking react to and engage with the issue. The different actors from the different sites of action have different subjective agendas, possess different types of knowledge, and hold different power positions. This thesis will thereby explore the tension and relations that a platform such as Faktisk.no brings into being in modern media society. This thesis will follow how the issue of how fact-checking evolves in Norway, aiming at contributing to a more general discussion on the role of Faktisk.no in relation to new media in today’s democracy. This thesis finally suggests that in order to perform as a credible and trustworthy corrective to improve the quality in the Norwegian public debate, Faktisk.no must maintain and strive for visibility and accessibility in society, by representing an independent, neutral and transparent fact-checking mechanism in modern media society.