BETWEEN TRUTH AND FAKE NEWS: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND PERSPECTIVES ON JOURNALISM IN ITALY

This study addresses the dilemma of truth and fake news. This binary opposition is particularly prominent in the post-truth era. This period is characterized by the fragmentation into multiple context-dependent constructs, while fake news circulates alongside competing “truths”. Although both concepts are widely discussed in academic literature, there is still a need for theoretical and practical reflection on contemporary media logics in constructing truth and countering fake news. To address this issue, the research examines the academic literature and Italian media through a three- stage strategy. First, a systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (n=204 sources). The results of the analysis provide new insights into the understanding of the truth and fake news phenomenon, and their specific characteristics. Second, in-depth interviews with Italian journalists and editors (n=13; 2024) were carried out to identify strategies of truth construction and approaches to countering fake news. Third, a qualitative analysis of 180 media texts on the Russian-Ukrainian war from Italian outlets outlined trends in the dominant narratives, framings, and manipulative practices. The author’s analysis of media texts was compared with GPT- Chat results to investigate the similarities and differences in identifying media tendencies in the conflict coverage. This case study was designed as an experimental research, comparing human and AI-based analysis in qualitative media study. The research findings have several contributions. Theoretically, it clarifies the relevant characteristics of truth and fake news within the context of the post-truth era. Empirically, it identifies the “tell-truth” strategies used by Italian media, highlights the role of digital verification tools and AI, and underlines the risks these pose for journalistic integrity. The analysis of 180 media texts conveys that the truth constructed by Italian outlets is partial and selective, marked by manipulative framings that minimise or ignore alternative perspectives. Finally, the results of the analysis given by GPT-Chat highlight both the potential and limitations of AI in qualitative media study. Overall, the research provides new insights for scholars of communication and professional journalists. It emphasized the need for comparative media studies on fake news across the European context and calls for future research on audience consumption of fake news.