(Berkeley Library 2021). This could range from having a dedicated tab for fact checking in the online versions of newspapers and television channels, to dedicating a separate space in the program line-up to fact checking. According to Taeksoo Cho, JTBC started a factchecking program around 2016–2017 to tackle information disorder related to the impeachment of the then president of South Korea. As one of the largest media organizations in South Korea, JTBC allocates five minutes of their prime-time news bulletin to fact checks of popular news items (interview, 2021). Even in countries with relatively prosperous socio-economic conditions, such as Japan and South Korea, fact checking is still a new phenomenon. As Jun Sakamoto noted, traditional media in Japan, such as newspapers, are beginning to engage in fact checking (interview, 2021). According to Gi Woong Yun, Vail M. Pittman associate dean and professor at the Reynolds School of Journalism of the University of Nevada, Reno, a similar pattern can be observed in South Korea, as “many traditional media organizations [in South Korea] are doing their own fact checking” and “even the public media broadcast[ers] have fact-checking sections” (interview, 2021). SELECTING INFORMATION FOR FACT CHECKING The general selection criteria for fact checking include the virality of the story, the risk that it would lead to violence, and general public interest. As Yvonne Chua, associate professor of journalism at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, explained, “the focus is really on claims that are factual and have gained traction or have the potential to gain traction.” She added: “It should be of a high public importance, the ones that are going viral or have the potential to go viral, and the ones that are extremely harmful” (interview, 2021). Asel Sooronbaeva, a fact checker and journalist from Factcheck.kg/Media Development Center of Kyrgyzstan, explained that they determine the need to fact check a certain news item based on sensitivities around it and also the impact it would have on peace and harmony in the country and the region. Prominent organizations in the industry have developed guidelines and criteria to follow during the process of selecting what to check (Borel 2020; Buttry 2020). Fact-checking organizations that are members of the IFCN follow the internationally recognized process of fact checking (see IFCN 2016). This process is recognized by legitimate I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH fact checkers, as it allows them to maintain strong standards in their process and avoid bias. Fact checkers also rely on their intuition in selecting stories. Many fact checkers do not limit themselves to specific themes or topics of interest, while others focus on specific themes such as health, politics, and entertainment. We also found some fact-checking organizations that focus only on speeches or statements made by public figures in their country. Fact checkers sometimes receive suggestions from readers and viewers regarding news items that need to be checked. This happens mostly as a result of fact checkers maintaining an active social media presence. We found some factAccording to Duman Smaqov, checking organizations that regular readers reach out to request focus only on speeches or specific fact checks, and also tag the statements made by public Factcheck.kz team in social media figures in their country. posts that they want fact checked (interview, 2021). Dr. N. Tamilselvi explained that during their selection process, she and her collaborators “select information that sometimes people forward—I mean, they send it to us asking us to debunk it, asking us whether it is true” (interview, 2021). Fact checkers also have to consider the amount of time and effort needed to check a story. They might have to decline simply because the required time and resources cannot be justified in the context of limited funds and other resources that most fact-checking organizations operate in. Another consideration is that the more time is spent on a fact check, the more public interest in the story wanes; this also impacts on the decision-making process. OUTPUT FORMATS The outputs produced by fact checking can take various forms. The channel of dissemination can have an impact on this, but, more than that, the types of stories that fact checkers are targeting affect the form their output takes (Walter et al. 2019). For example, a quick turnaround is required for some news items due to the nature of the news article; fact checks on news stories that have the potential to lead to violence are an example. On the other hand, some stories require more time and energy and are less urgent. Such fact checks would resemble longer investigative journalistic pieces of writing. Duman Smaqov spoke about the different types of fact checks produced by Factcheck.kz, which included standard fact checks and investigative pieces. Factcheck.kz uses Asia – 2 02