A study on news analysis of check-out sites in Türkiye

As the speed of access to information in todays digital age increases, so too has the potential for the spread of false and misleading content. While individuals are busy searching for the truth, they are surrounded by fake information. This environment is indisputably created by social media and the internet. The rapidly spreading and rapidly produced news produced through social media is disconnected from accuracy. The concept of fake/false news, which overrides objective reality, confuses people's rational perceptions of accurate information, leading to the blurring of reality. The research in this study examines fact-checking sites that combat this fake news. These platforms undertake to demonstrate the accuracy and falsifiability of these deliberately spread stories. The AA Teyit Hattı (AA Teyit Hotline), Teyit.org, and Doğruluk Payı (Doğruluk Payı) websites, which were published between May and November 2024, were included in the study with 331 news stories. The study limited the news coverage to Instagram sites. This framework examines the categories in which fact-checking sites publish news most frequently and how they make these stories visible through their presentation methods. The extent to which user ınteractions and participation in fact-checking sites are key issues in this study. The findings in this study revealed that news genres prioritize politics, security/terrorism, and immigration. This suggests that fact-checking sites address current issues. The study also found that reader engagement with news content is not high. Finally, the presentation style of visual and multimedia content on the platforms examined in the study garnered more engagement, demonstrating that not only the content but also the communication method is a determining factor. Fact-checking sites, through their content selection, also served as content actors, deciding which information would be visible.