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Michaël Opgenhaffen

@michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social

670 followers 570 following 16 posts

Professor at University of Leuven (KU Leuven) // Digital news and journalism // Affiliated U. of Leiden // supporter of SK Beveren.

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Communication & Media Studies 54%

Sociology 13%

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Aug 29

Ik had op Twitter (niet X!) alleszins veel meer gesprekken over onderzoek dan voorlopig hier op Bluesky. Maar ik sluit me aan bij "het beste kan nog komen" ;-)

Reposted by Baldwin Van Gorp, Michaël Opgenhaffen

Etmaal2026 @etmaal2026.bsky.social · Jan 13

📢The programme for #Etmaal2025 in Bruges is now live! Explore the sessions and start planning your conference experience: 🔗 etmaal2025.org/programme/.

Also, there are only two weeks left to register for the conference at the regular fee! More details here: etmaal2025.org/registration/

Programme

etmaal2025.org

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Reposted by Baldwin Van Gorp, Michaël Opgenhaffen

Silke Brandsen @silkebrandsen.bsky.social · Apr 23

The first study of my PhD has been published in @journalcam.bsky.social! 🎉 Together with @baldwinvangorp.bsky.social and @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social, we studied what factors in news elicit fear in children and how they perceive and experience the mediation of news by adults. Read it here!

Children’s perceptions of scary news in Belgium: Examining parental mediation and consolation strategies from their perspective

Negative news items can cause fear reactions in children, which has prompted various parental mediation strategies and recommendations for news makers on how to make the news less scary. However, r...

www.tandfonline.com

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Reposted by Michaël Opgenhaffen

Cato Waeterloos @catowaeterloos.bsky.social · Apr 2

✅🔍 Op Internationale Fact-Checking Dag zetten we vanuit @miplab.bsky.social graag de wetenschappelijke inzichten rond fact-checking op een rijtje. Die kan je lezen in de SWAY-bijdrage van @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social @ferrewouters.bsky.social @babettehermans.bsky.social en mezelf.

Fact-checking in de strijd tegen desinformatie: wat werkt- en wat niet? | SWAY

Worden fact-checks effectief gelezen? Slagen ze erin foutieve informatie te corrigeren? En hoe kunnen ze het best worden gepresenteerd?

soc.kuleuven.be

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Reposted by Baldwin Van Gorp, Michaël Opgenhaffen

Vlaamse vereniging van journalisten @vvjournalisten.bsky.social · Feb 27

Professor @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social reflecteert over factchecking en AI. 'De nieuwe tools zijn zeker waardevolle hulpmiddelen, maar menselijke input blijft cruciaal voor een gedegen verificatie.' Het volledige artikel👉 www.journalist.be/nl/nieuws/de...

De complexe relatie tussen AI en factchecking

Op 12 december gaven Rien Emmery (VRT NWS) en Lotte Lambrecht (Knack) in de VVJ Academy een gesmaakte uiteenzetting over factchecking in tijden van AI. We vroegen Michaël Opgenhaffen, professor digita...

www.journalist.be

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Reposted by Michaël Opgenhaffen

Vlaamse vereniging van journalisten @vvjournalisten.bsky.social · Feb 24

💡De Journalist 254 is van de persen gerold! Met: Brecht Decaestecker en Kristof Demasure (De Tafel van Gert), @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social over factchecking en AI,
@eugeniedhooghe.bsky.social over freelancen, transcriptietools met hun voor- en nadelen, auteursrechten en AI... #journalistiek

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Reposted by David Geerts, Michaël Opgenhaffen

Bieke Zaman @biekezaman.bsky.social · Feb 13

Will you also submit to the 1st International Conference for an Inclusive Digital Society (IDS2025)?

⏱️Deadline: 3 March (extended!)

IDS2025 provides a global platform for an inclusive digital world, hosted by @digisoc.bsky.social
🗓️ 15 & 16 Sept. 2025
📍 Leuven, Belgium
👉 inclusivedigitalsociety.eu

Welcome to the International Conference for an Inclusive Digital Society (IDS2025), hosted and organised by the KU Leuven Digital Society Institute (DigiSoc) on the 15th and 16th of September 2025 in the historic and vibrant city of Leuven, Belgium.

inclusivedigitalsociety.eu

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Feb 4

@silkebrandsen.bsky.social presenting her research on consolation strategies in childrens’s television vs TikTok news. Keep an eye on her PhD research, more to come very soon! @miplab.bsky.social #etmaal2025

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Feb 4

Social media editors and fact-checkers often receive negative public feedback and take this into account when selecting topic and language. @verstappenmarie.bsky.social from @miplab.bsky.social presenting her latest study at #etmaal2025

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Reposted by Michaël Opgenhaffen

Media, Information & Persuasion Lab @miplab.bsky.social · Feb 3

Day 1 at the #etmaal2025 conference: MIP lab showcased their interesting research from the past year!

1/3 Members of team @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social mostly focused on factchecking and political content on social media! 🔍 @catowaeterloos.bsky.social @ferrewouters @babettehermans.bsky.social

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Feb 3

Mere exposure to fact-checks does not improve contested issue knowledge (sometimes even the oppposite), but reading fact-checks does. Interesting findings from @babettehermans.bsky.social from @miplab.bsky.social at #etmaal2025

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Reposted by Michaël Opgenhaffen

Teresa Weikmann @teresaelena.bsky.social · Feb 3

Great presentation on fact-checking and trust by BENEDMO colleagues Ferre Wouters, @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social and @bzar.bsky.social. And no, Zuckerberg is not right. Love it when *researchers add context* 😎

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Feb 3

The relationship between fact-checks and trust explained by Ferre Wouters from @miplab.bsky.social Great presentation of the third study of his PhD at #etmaal2025

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Reposted by Baldwin Van Gorp, Tim Smits, Michaël Opgenhaffen

Media, Information & Persuasion Lab @miplab.bsky.social · Jan 29

With #etmaal2025 just around the corner, we’re excited to introduce our new research group! 🏛️📢 As part of the Communication Science department at KU Leuven, we’re co-organizing this vibrant conference—and this is just the beginning.
Follow us for more updates on our research group!

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Reposted by Michaël Opgenhaffen

Etmaal2026 @etmaal2026.bsky.social · Jan 23

⏳ Reminder: Just 4 days left to register for #Etmaal2025 at the regular fee! As of the 27th of January, all rates go up for last-minute registrations. So make sure to register! More details here: etmaal2025.org/registration/

Registration

etmaal2025.org

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Reposted by Leen d’Haenens, Laura Jacobs, Tim Smits , and 2 more Leen d’Haenens, Laura Jacobs, Tim Smits, Jeroen Jansz, Michaël Opgenhaffen

Etmaal2026 @etmaal2026.bsky.social · Jan 8

We encourage the #Etmaal2025 community to continue our engaging discussions in a space in line with our academic values. Therefore, we will gradually switch from X to BlueSky. Up until the conference, we will cross-post all information. During the conference, we will only use Bluesky (1/2)

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Jan 7

About the way Meta uses its newsroom to strategically communicates about the fight against mis/disinfo: www.degruyter.com/document/doi...

Combatting disinformation with crisis communication: An analysis of Meta’s newsroom stories

This study examines how Meta as a company of various social media platforms communicates the disinformation crisis. Social media platforms are seen as a breeding ground for disinformation, and compani...

www.degruyter.com

Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Jan 7

Not unexpected. Curious to see if and when Meta will move this to Europe, where there are some rules and guidelines on how platforms should deal with disinformation (DSA, Code of Practice on disinfo).

Meta Moves to End Fact-Checking Program

The social networking giant will stop using third-party fact checkers and instead rely on users to add notes or corrections to posts. It is likely to please the Trump administration.

www.nytimes.com

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Dec 9

With a study of Ferre Wouters and I on regional, sub-state fact-checking initiatives in Europe.

Media and Communication @cogitatiomac.bsky.social · Dec 9

What are the main challenges for the global fact-checking movement?

Our new open access issue explores the institutional dynamics and regional variations of fact-checking organizations worldwide.

Issue: shortt.link/mac458bsky

Fact-Checkers Around the World: Regional, Comparative, and Institutional Perspectives

Thematic Issue, Vol 12 (2024)

shortt.link

Reposted by Michaël Opgenhaffen, Scott A. Eldridge

Media and Communication @cogitatiomac.bsky.social · Dec 9

Fact-Checkers Around the World: Regional, Comparative, and Institutional Perspectives

Thematic Issue, Vol 12 (2024)

shortt.link

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Dec 2

Oh boy, already two years ago 🙈 Still a proud supervisor!

Reposted by Michaël Opgenhaffen

Matt Walsh @mattwalshjourno.bsky.social · Nov 26

I'm very happy to say the Future of Journalism conference at Cardiff University is taking place again next September - the CfP is now out:🧵 (1/5)

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Nov 21

Hold on! There is sunlight at the end of the winter tunnel!

Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Nov 8

This ties in nicely with my study on the perceived (non)sense of social media guidelines among journalists. Will use this in my classes on this topic! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

www.tandfonline.com

Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Nov 8

A free database with + 150K (and counting) factchecks? Yes, the Benedmo.eu project can, thanks to one of our partners textgain. A valuable tool for academic research on factchecking if you ask me ;-) benedmo.textgain.com

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Nov 4

Same feeling. Especially the scenes with George give me goosebumps.

Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Oct 25

Come join us! Fulltime tenure track position in domain of digital media effects at University of Leuven www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...

Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Oct 17

Great tool to find Twitter follows here on Bluesky (via @felixsimon.bsky.social) chrome.google.com/webstore/det...

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Michaël Opgenhaffen @michaelopgenhaffen.bsky.social · Oct 13

Hello you all! Finally made the shift to Bluesky (while keep an eye on Twitter). Curious to see if this will be a game changer. Let's connect if you are interested in digital journalism, social media news, online disinformation and platform policy.