From social media to mainstream media: Rethinking news verification in the age of artificial intelligence

Abstract

Background: In Indonesia, social media platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp, and TikTok have become dominant news sources, surpassing traditional mainstream media. However, this shift has triggered a crisis of verification, further complicated by the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated content, including deepfakes and AI-based news production, which blurs the boundary between fact and fabrication. Methods: This study employed a qualitative approach through library research and reflective theoretical analysis, supported by documentary observations of current phenomena involving viral social media content entering mainstream media channels. Analysis was conducted thematically, critically, and contextually, synthesizing previous scholarly findings with contemporary digital media practices. Findings: The results indicate that the flow of information from social media to mainstream media has dismantled traditional gatekeeping roles, replacing them with a decentralized and algorithm-driven ecosystem. AI technologies, while enhancing efficiency, introduce epistemological challenges by generating credible but potentially inaccurate content without ethical responsibility. Furthermore, the study highlights that traditional verification mechanisms are inadequate against the speed and complexity of digital information flows. Effective information verification today requires collaborative, technology-assisted, and participatory strategies, integrating innovations such as AI-supported fact-checking tools and blockchain verification. Simultaneously, media literacy must evolve to include algorithmic awareness and critical interpretation skills. Conclusion: The crisis of information verification is not merely technical but communicative, involving shifts in authority, credibility, and ethical responsibility in the digital era. Addressing this crisis demands a systemic overhaul of verification practices through multiparty collaboration and ethical frameworks for AI communication. Novelty/Originality of this article: It offers a novel synthesis between AI-mediated communication theories and real-world media practices, proposing a redefinition of public communication that incorporates non-human actors like AI as influential communicators within digital ecosystems.