FactSpace West Africa with support from the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has trained 25 journalists in Liberia in fact-checking, news verification and effective ways of countering misinformation/disinformation campaigns.
The journalists who were drawn from 12 newsrooms (print, radio, TV and online) have been primed to serve as in-house fact-checkers for their various media organizations and work collectively under the Liberian Fact-Checking Network ahead of the country’s general elections in 2023.
Liberian journalists participating in a fact-checking workshop
Speaking at the opening of the training programme, an official of the National Elections Commission of Liberia, Prince Dunbar said: “NEC remains open and has nothing to hide…We encourage journalists to just report the news and not share false information.”
Liberia has enjoyed nearly two decades of peace and stability since the second civil war ended in 2003. However, there are concerns about an onslaught of online lies that have the potential to destabilize the country ahead of the upcoming election.
The President of the Press Union of Liberia, Charles Coffey in his remarks, encouraged the participating journalists to take advantage of the training programme to be in tune with the changing digital world and the emerging threats that could undermine the credibility of their reports.
The workshop had two on-ground facilitators, including the Director of FactSpace West Africa, Rabiu Alhassan and the Community and Impact Manager at the International Fact-checking Network (IFCN), Enock Nyariki.
Other trainers that connected virtually included Eric Mugendi of Meedan and Check Global and Peter Cunliffe Jones, founder of Africa Check.
Insights from @PCunliffeJones on what to look out for when fact-checking claims by politicians.
In June 2022, FactSpace West Africa with support from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) trained about 30 electoral commission officials from The Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone to be more responsive to emerging online threats and risks.
