Propagandistic Use of Fact-Checking in Health Crisis: The Case of Pro-Government Fact-Checking in Hong Kong

The effectiveness of fact-checking and its implications for society have garnered significant scholarly attention in recent years. However, few studies have empirically shed light on the propagandistic potential of fact-checking and how it could be co-opted in authoritarian discourses. This study examines the discursive potential of fact-checking as a tool for facilitating authoritarian state propaganda and information control, focusing on the context of Hong Kong, which has been described as experiencing democratic backsliding. Employing a mixed-method content analysis, this research examines 185 COVID-19-related fact-checking posts published in 2020 by a pro-government fact-checking outlet. The findings demonstrate the fact-checker's attempt to appropriate fact-checking as a tool to defend against antigovernment allegations and propagate official narratives. The implications of the findings for our understanding of fact-checking in authoritarian discourses are discussed.