Debunking Election Misinformation: A Comparison of Fact-Checking Platforms

India is home to the world’s largest democracy. The lynchpin of this vibrant democracy is free and fair elections. The year 2024 witnessed substantial political dynamism with General Elections in April, followed by Legislative Assembly Elections in the consequent months. As the election period gained momentum, the media started to brim with political news stories. Given this evolving landscape, it is crucial to examine how different media platforms circulated election-related news. Researchers emphasize that the election period brought a surge in fake news, misinformation, and disinformation. The Election Commission of India has launched the Myth vs Reality Register to combat this mounting challenge and to uphold electoral integrity. Against this backdrop, this research examines how ECI’s Myth vs Reality Register and other leading Indian independent fact-checking agencies, such as Alt News, Boom, and Vishvas News combat the challenges posed by the fake news circulated by the ever-growing online media. Analysis of content has been performed to understand the manner in which fake news is tackled. It is identified that the news items that are presented on these sites are majorly presented as false news, fake news, and misleading news.