Fact-checking versus Misinformation: A Mexican Case Study

Abstract

This study explores the dynamics of misinformation and fact-checking in Mexico through an analysis of 20 randomly selected fact-checks published by the Mexican fact-checking organization El Sabueso between June and July 2024. The paper identifies the most prevalent topics and persuasion strategies used in misinformation claims and assesses the argumentation mechanisms El Sabueso uses to debunk them. It also evaluates El Sabueso’s alignment with international best practices in factchecking. Findings show that misinformation in social media in Mexico commonly focuses on international, national, and local news, relying heavily on emotional appeals and storytelling. In response, El Sabueso primarily counters claims by contrasting them with factual data and exposing omitted information while also consistently adhering to expert-recommended practices such as using simple language, avoiding truth scales, and clarity in structure. This research highlights how misinformation operates in a Global South context and offers a critical assessment of a professionalized fact-checking organization, contributing to the limited scholarship on misinformation debunking in Latin America.