JOURNAL ARTICLE

Balancing Artificial Intelligence and Human Expertise: Ideal Fact-Checking Strategies for Hard and Soft News.

  • Published In: Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 2026, v. 103, n. 1. P. 134 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Kim, Yunju; Lee, Joonhwan 3 of 3

Abstract

This study investigates the comparative effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI)-aided versus human-assisted fact-checking across two journalistic news types: hard news, characterized by objective and factual reporting, and soft news, marked by emotional and subjective storytelling. Conducted via online experiments in Korea and the United States, the research finds that AI fact-checking is more effective in reducing misinformation credibility in hard news through cognition-driven, systematic processing, while human fact-checking better addresses soft news by engaging emotion-driven, heuristic processing. These findings suggest that leveraging AI for fact-checking objective hard news and human expertise for subjective soft news optimizes misinformation correction, with implications for media practitioners aiming to enhance public trust. The study also highlights the nuanced interplay between cognitive and emotional processing routes in how audiences respond to fact-checking, emphasizing the importance of tailoring fact-checking strategies to news style and content.

Additional Information

  • Source:Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. 2026/03, Vol. 103, Issue 1, p134
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Social Sciences and Humanities
  • Publication Date:2026
  • ISSN:1077-6990
  • DOI:10.1177/10776990251325875
  • Accession Number:191630810
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