Not all fact-checkers are created equal: how fact-checkers’ political bias influences users’ fact-checking behavior

Fact-checking has been identified as one of the most popular solutions to the prevalence of misinformation. Through a two-wave online experiment conducted in Hong Kong, this research examined the effectiveness of a neutral stance for fact-checking platforms in promoting credibility and habitual fact-checking. The results showed that individuals exposed to neutral fact-checking content engaged in using professional fact-checkers more frequently than those exposed to fact-checking content with political bias. Facebook’s credibility also significantly mediated the relationship between exposure to neutral fact-checking content and fact-checking frequency. Furthermore, ordinary news sources received higher credibility ratings than politically biased or neutral fact-checking sources. The practical implications for fact-checking practices are discussed.