Can fact-checking movements, through their efforts to counter disinformation, contribute to the development of European public sphere?

Reasoning and Research gap: Given the unique nature of fact-checking, researchers have framed it as a “social movement promoting confidence in factually verifiable truths” (Koliska and Roberts 2024:17). However, questions remain regarding the extent to which fact-checkers, as part of the broader civil society and media ecosystem, engage in policymaking against disinformation and shape the framing of the issue. This paper seeks to evaluate how the European fact-checking movement (Cazzamatta 2024; Graves 2016) discursively frames the EU’s disinformation problem (Bennett and Livingston 2018) using the strategic dimensions of frames—diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational—developed within social movement research (Caiani 2023; Lo Piccolo 2023; della Porta et al. 2024; della Porta and Diani 2020). Then, one will qualitatively examine the convergence of frames and the interplay of discourses (Pfetsch and Heft 2014) among fact-checkers from EU states and their involvement in public policy to determine whether they contribute to the creation of European public spheres amid epistemic uncertainties, as Della Porta (2022) has prior argued for progressive social movements, despite the challenges and conceptualization issues of transnational public spheres, even at the national level, as discussed by several scholars (Fraser 2007; Hallin and Mancini 2004; della Porta 2022; Trenz 2008, 2023). It is assumed that by discussing and debating common concerns, fact-checkers can foster a collective identity and form a communicative community among European fact-checkers. The research relevance relies on the integration and advance of three distinct research areas: a) fact-checking and disinformation; b) the discursive transnationalization and digitalization of public spheres; and c) civil society and social movements. Despite the growing body of research on fact-checking little is known about their capacity in setting the terms of the EU debate and policies on disinformation. Besides, within the literature on social movement frames, the emphasis is primarily on national rather than transnational contentious issues, such as disinformation. Research Questions RQ1.: How do fact-checkers operating in different political and media contexts across Europe discursively frame the problem of information disorder, its causes, and possible solutions? RQ2.: To what extent are these identified frames aligned, enabling the European fact-checking movement to contribute to the development of a European public sphere? Methods: To address the research questions outlined, the paper will employ a multimethod approach integrating qualitative textual document analysis with semi-structured interviews. The initial phase will involve analyzing documents, websites, and promotional materials from the European Digital Media Observatory in Florence and the European Fact-Checking Standard Network in Paris, as well as conducting interviews with experts from these institution-building organizations. Subsequently, a more comprehensive data-gathering phase will involve interviewing approximately 60 European fact-checkers from diverse sectors, including independent, NGO, non-profit, civil society, and academic institutions. Interview guidelines will be refined according fact-checkers’ definitions of disinformation, blame attributions, and proposed solutions. The guidelines will also include questions related to their involvement in EU countermeasures and policies, such as the DSA and the EU’s Action Plan Against Disinformation.