Ten Ivorian journalists are receiving training for fact checking on social media

Ten Ivorian journalists are receiving training for fact checking on social media

Over the course of one month, they have learned fact checking techniques for search engines and major social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram).

They work for five different Ivorian media outlets ( Eburnie Today, Radio Yopougon, RTI Info, AIP et 7info), and were all selected following a call for applications as part of the Verifox Africa (Verifying Fake News in Africa) project, which trains African journalists in the skills necessary to combat the spread of fake news and inaccurate information on the internet.

Consisting of 15 sessions, this training took place between 20 April and 14 May 2020 and was conducted via video conferences due to the restrictions related to the coronavirus. The participants completed practical exercises and their first articles on fact checking have been published on the Facebook pages and websites of their media outlets.

The Verifox training has given me a better understanding of what fact checking is. I have learned about several tools and how to use them and, above all, I learned about a methodology for verification work reported one of the participants, a journalist for RTI Info.

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