E01¶


Research	R0051 — Fact-Checking Gap
Run	2026-03-31
Query	Q001
Source	SRC06
Evidence	SRC06-E01
Type	Analytical

Fact-checking characterized as epistemic infrastructure transitioning from journalistic gatekeeping to platform governance.

URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27523543251344972

Extract¶

Shin et al. (2025) characterize fact-checking as "epistemic infrastructure" — institutional structures that mediate knowledge claims in the digital information ecosystem. The paper traces the evolution from traditional journalistic gatekeeping to platform governance, where fact-checking organizations serve as epistemic arbiters for social media platforms.

The framing as "infrastructure" rather than "methodology" is significant — it positions fact-checking as an institutional function rather than an analytical discipline with formal methods. Infrastructure provides a service; a methodology provides replicable procedures.

Relevance to Hypotheses¶

Hypothesis	Relationship	Strength
H1	N/A	Does not directly address framework existence
H2	Supports	Institutional role exists without formal methodology — consistent with partial development
H3	Contradicts	The "epistemic infrastructure" concept shows epistemological awareness

Context¶

The distinction between infrastructure (institutional) and methodology (procedural) helps explain the gap. Fact-checking has developed significant institutional infrastructure (organizations, networks, codes of principles, platform partnerships) without developing comparable methodological infrastructure (formal evidence evaluation frameworks).