fake news. They produce it, they spread it, and they have so many accounts, so we cannot identify a particular website or a Facebook group to monitor them. And when the fact checker debunks information on Facebook, or in a WhatsApp group, they move to Telegram. (interview, 2021) It was also observed that YouTube videos are difficult to fact check because of length and because of the way they present narratives: “The length of the videos, the language [are challenges], but also linguistic creativity, the cultural complexity of understanding the content,” observes Cheryll Ruth Soriano from the Philippines (interview, 2021). Hence, it is much harder to fact check a narrative than discrete statements. 4.6 REACH AND IMPACT MEASUREMENT: FACT CHECKING, MEDIA LITERACY PROGRAMS EXPANDING REACH All types of stakeholders working to counter information disorder acknowledge that creating a level of engagement with the fact check that is equal to that of the original piece of information is very difficult. Raisa Wickrematunge, for example, noted that creating the same level of impact and dissemination as the original news item containing elements of information disorder is rarely possible (interview, 2021). Fact checkers and journalists also face difficulties in reaching groups who have limited access to different sources of information (including online sources) and lack the skills required to navigate the complex world of news and information (Carnahan and Bergan 2021). Amar Gunatilleke from the Marga Institute mentioned how difficult it is to create a conversation on social media around a post. They sometimes have to resort to creating an artificial debate in the comments section to get the attention of the audience: “Comments are very low on social media unless we curate the conversation, where we have two people and we have a debate about something. [We] have [something resembling] a dog fight and that [will] make people come in and comment” (interview, 2021). Another problem is creating fact checks fast enough so that the public is still interested in the topic or news by the time the correction is published, while maintaining high standards of report- I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH ing (Pomares and Guzmán 2021). Ujjwal Acharya and Umesh Shrestha acknowledged this: “One thing that we have to be very honest [about] is that fact checks do not have the impact that we want [them] to have. Most of the time, by the time Because most of the time, by the we publish the fact checks, the time we publish the fact checks, heated discussion phase has the heated discussion phase has passed on that issue (interview, passed on that issue” (interview, Umesh Shrestha, 2021). Umesh Shrestha, 2021). Many fact checkers constantly walk a thin line between publishing fact checks fast so that they are relevant to the news cycle and still providing strong analysis with credible sources. Another challenge in terms of the reach of fact checks is reaching people who are not active online, as internet and social media use in the region is relatively low compared to developed countries (Zainudeen and Amarasinghe 2019). Harshana Silva stressed the importance of connecting with such people, especially the older generation, who generally access news on traditional media channels (interview, 2021). Mahoshadi Peiris pointed out the strategy that Factcheck.lk uses: “In terms of overcoming the barrier of access to the internet, our solution is to partner with media that can publish our fact check, which is what we have done with Daily Mirror and the ‘Ada’ Sinhala newspaper publication” (interview, 2021). DEALING WITH AUDIENCE BIASES AND PERCEPTIONS Fact checkers have to deal with how the allegiances and belief systems of the audience affect the way in which they interpret a fact check. Jason Cabañes pointed out that in the Philippines, fact checking has become a political activity, and people’s willingness to accept a correction often depends on their political affiliations. For example, a supporter of the current administration of the country would rather consider a fact-checked news item to be a conspiracy against the government than acknowledge the facts presented. It is therefore very important to understand the audience and to adapt the communication methods used accordingly (interview, 2021). Harshana Silva mentioned that countering information disorder requires that fact checks be attention grabbing. Even though a fact check of an image might require a lengthy explanation, it is important to structure it in such a way that the target audience will pay attention to it (interview, 2021). Md. Mahbubur Rahman (Mahbub Roni), a fact checker Asia – 2 3 0