***This is the official journal site. The older site (joctec.org) is no longer updated. ***
Prashantha Bhat
University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
(Correspondence: yzhu@ou.edu)
Kalyani Chadha
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
Citation: Bhat, P. & Chadha, K. (2025). Delegitimizing information verification: How India’s right-wing media undermines Independent Factcheckers. Journal of Communication Technology, 7(1), 63-97. DOI: 10.51548/joctec.7.1.2025.04
Abstract: Independent fact-checkers globally face increasing hostility from right-wing populist actors, who frame them as aligned with biased mainstream media. While this adversarial dynamic is widely discussed in journalism, less is known about the specific strategies used to discredit fact-checkers, especially in non-Western contexts. This study addresses that gap through an analysis of OpIndia—a prominent right-wing media platform in India—and its critiques of altnews.in, the country’s leading fact-checking site. A thematic analysis of OpIndia’s content reveals a coordinated attempt to challenge altnews.in by questioning its methods, ideology, and personnel. The findings contribute to ongoing debates about media polarization, authoritarian information control, and the erosion of epistemic authority. Ultimately, this study highlights the vulnerability of fact-checkers in polarized environments and raises concerns about the long-term resilience of democratic information systems.
Keywords: Factchecking, OpIndia, Non-Western media, India