Blockchain Technology as a Tool for Countering Fake Information in the Media

The subject of the study is blockchain technologies as a tool for countering the generation and dissemination of fake information in the modern media environment. The authors examine the evolution of the concept of "fake news" – from the historical "false news" of the pre-industrial and industrial eras to the contemporary phenomenon shaped by the democratization of communication channels and the development of social networks, messengers, and blogging culture. Particular attention is paid to distinguishing fake information from value judgments, to the definition of a fake as false content with diminished social value that presents itself as valuable, as well as to the economic, political, and social consequences of the mass dissemination of fakes. The practical part of the research analyzes specific cases of blockchain instruments applied in the industry: The New York Times and IBM Garage News Provenance Project (2019–2020) based on Hyperledger Fabric, the experience of The Civil Media and its partnership with the Associated Press, the startup projects Userfeeds and PUBLIQ, and others. The methodological basis of the study comprises a comparative analysis of foreign and domestic cases of blockchain technology application in the media sphere, a historical-genetic approach to the evolution of the concept of "fake information", the classification method (systematization of fakes by five criteria), and the expert assessment method for determining the degree of blockchain effectiveness for each category of fakes. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the systematization of the evolution of industry blockchain initiatives for countering fakes – from the early experiments of 2018–2020 to more sustainable international consortium solutions of 2021–2026 – as well as in the construction of an efficiency matrix of blockchain technologies in relation to five typological grounds for classifying fake information: by the degree of information distortion, by the reliability of spatial-temporal characteristics, by the reliability and trustworthiness of the source, by the purpose of creation, and by the type of representation. The authors identify two basic vectors of blockchain application in countering fakes: joint projects of major media organizations with technology companies and autonomous startup initiatives. A conclusion is drawn on the limitations of blockchain solutions in the conditions of post-truth: the technology is able to provide cryptographic verification of content provenance, but it does not eliminate the fundamental problem of distinguishing between a fake and a value judgment and does not directly influence the level of audience trust.