Kwame Karikari Fact-Checking Fellowship 2021: Dubawa Commences Training of Journalists in Africa

In an amplified effort towards curbing fake news and spread of misinformation in the digital age, Nigeria’s independent verification platform, Dubawa, is training journalists in Africa on fact-checking.

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Over 25 journalists in new media platforms (online blogs), radio and TV stations have been selected by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), the mother company of Dubawa, for the 2021 Kwame Karikari Fact-Checking Fellowship which began on Tuesday, May 18.

Fellows will be trained by professionals including Peter Cunliffe-Jones, PTCIJ founder Dapo Olorunyomi, and exposed to digital tools required in combating misinformation.

The selected candidates are currently attending a 4-day virtual training which is one of the prerequisites for the fellowship set to run till November 2021.

"The aim of the fact-checking fellowship is to tackle misinformation and hold political elites accountable for their words, action, and also, expand the reach of verified information to grassroots communities that are targeted constituencies for political, social and cultural disinformation, so they are adequately equipped to hold political elites accountable," part of the statement released by Temilade Onilede, Dubawa's Programme officer said.

The fellowship, third of its kind, is named after Kwame Karikari, a professor of journalism and founder of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). It is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

Source: Legit.ng