On December 4, 2021, eligible voters across The Gambia will line up at the 1,554 polling stations to vote for their preferred presidential candidate.
In what is expected to be a highly contested election, there will be information explosion, accusations and counter-accusations aimed at garnering votes.
For many, social media will be the go-to place for breaking news and monitoring happenings around the country and this demands that online users are critical about the kinds of information they consume.
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Here are seven ways of identifying misinformation/disinformation/fake news if any appears on your timeline:
- Read beyond the headline
- Be critical about any information while being conscious of your biases
- How credible is the publisher(s)?
- Look closely at the date of publication, in case the text is being misrepresented
- If it is published by a social media handle, check if it is verified
- Crosscheck any information with trustworthy media houses
- Do not take images and videos at face value
Meanwhile, you can also contact FactSpace Gambia to verify any information you are confused or suspicious about. Gambia’s independent, non-partisan fact-checking platform is determined to ensure that through our fact-checking and news verification efforts, we tackle the weaponization of misinformation and provide citizens with verified information.
The Gambia is at a crossroad in its transition from dictatorship to good governance and the 2021 presidential election is expected to define the future of the country as it seeks to improve on the hard-fought gains of the last election that ended 22 years of authoritarian rule under Yahya Jammeh.
By: FactSpace WA
