PRESS RELEASE
Accra,
Ghana (November 25, 2022) - AW Free Foundation in
partnership with FactSpace West Africa have trained Togolese journalists on
fact-checking techniques and tools.
The workshop was held in the Togolese capital, Lome, on November 22 as part of AW Free Foundation's media development initiative to impart knowledge of best practices to help improve media systems.
The
journalists were taken through the fact-checking processes including
identifying claims; verification of information; presentation of facts;
diversification of sources and putting together fact-check reports among
others.
The Executive Director of AW Free Foundation, Emmanuel Agbenonwossi said: “Francophone Africa has its own peculiar challenges which provide a fertile ground for the production and consumption of fake news.
This training series initiated by our foundation will help journalists in the region to understand how the problem of fake news and cyber-propaganda evolution and manifestation have been closely linked with the rise of populist politics, digital capitalism, etc., and how to combat the phenomenon. The training will also help bridge the existing gap in the news fact-checking cycle, which is much needed to enhance professional and ethical journalism.”Rabiu
Alhassan, the Director of FactSpace West Africa who led the
training said: “The
weaponization of misinformation has grown to become one of the major threats
confronting the world. It goes without saying that due to low digital literacy
on the continent, many African countries stand at greater risk. It is for this
reason we’re committed to building the capacity of as many Africans to help in
fighting bad information. More so, we need journalists to ensure false
information does not trickle into their news reports and this training seeks to
achieve just that.”
Editor-in-Chief
of the AfricaWeb group, Ismail Akwei, also took the journalists
through the digital products created by the media group to democratise
journalism and empower content creators.
"AfricaWeb
built the GhanaWeb Reporter for its Ghana platform to entrench the
freedom of speech enjoyed in the country. We are looking forward to introducing
the Reporter to Cameroon, Tanzania and Nigeria where anyone can freely express
themselves and keep their communities informed while they earn income from the
revenue generated from their content," explained Ismail Akwei.
In
March 2022, FactSpace West Africa, one of the leading fact-checking
organisations in Africa, entered into a partnership with AW Free Foundation to
expand the fight against misinformation, disinformation, fake news and
propaganda across Africa.
AW
Free Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded by AfricaWeb, one of the
biggest publishers in Africa operating in Ghana (ghanaweb.com), Cameroon
(camerounweb.com), Nigeria (mynigeria.com), Tanzania (tanzaniaweb.com) and Togo
among other African countries.
The
partnership is expected to leverage on AfricaWeb’s reach of 4 million
multilingual visitors per month across three regions of Africa and its wide
network of multilingual journalists to verify, fact-check and widely publish
verified information in multiple languages across Africa.
Among
other activities, FactSpace West Africa and AW Free Foundation would organise
fact-checking training for journalists, whistleblowers, CSOs and the general
public to develop their fact-checking skills. The training in Togo is in
fulfilment of the partnership.
FactSpace
West Africa and AW Free Foundation look forward to training thousands of
fact-checkers in Africa and consistently fact-checking and verifying information
in multiple African languages.
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