The Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), through its fact-checking project, ‘Dubawa’ has launched the second edition of its annual fact-checking fellowship for journalists in new media platforms (online blogs), radio and TV stations in Nigeria and Ghana.
The fellowship, which is in its second year in Nigeria is being held for the first time for Ghanaian journalists this year.
It is aimed at equipping journalists with skills to tackle misinformation and disinformation to enhance truth and accuracy within the media.
The fellowship will be preceded by a training programme for fellows who will use innovation, research and technology to create, write truth-based and factual stories; and also to institute a culture of fact-checking in newsrooms across Nigeria and Ghana.
Specific courses that will feature in the training include information disorder ecosystem, news industry transformation, research and data journalism, investigative journalism, and fact-checking/verification as an innovation to today’s journalism.
The Programme Director, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), Oluwatosin Alagbe, said the Fellowship was timely and more important now with the global pandemic.
“There is no better time than now, during this pandemic, to consolidate and expand on the Dubawa Fellowship Programme launched in 2019. The world is rife with misinformation and disinformation, and these fellows, the best in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Uganda, are saddled with the task of debunking and researching the trends.”
“They will also institute the culture of fact-checking and verification in their respective newsrooms,” she added.
Reinforcing the view, Adedeji Adekunle, PTCIJ’s Deputy Programme Director, said the Fellowship is part of the Organisation’s effort to innovate around information disorder.
“The Fellowship has been one of our efforts to innovate around the massive information disorder problem and the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation.”
“When the culture of fact-checking becomes a mainstay in mainstream journalism, the pace of the spread of rumours and hoaxes starts to reduce,” he said, adding “This year brings a lot of promise and I am optimistic about the ability of the fellows to accomplish great things and leave their mark.”
The Programme Officer and Editor, Dubawa (Ghana), Caroline Anipah, said the Fellowship is critical with Ghana’s 2020 general elections on the horizon.
“This Fellowship is timely and important at this time when the political climate is heating up, and rumours and political misinformation is rapidly spreading. In addition to debunking political and election-related false information, fellows also have a responsibility of ensuring that verified information gets to the people who need it most, grassroot communities.”
The Fellowship this year will be virtual, due to the global pandemic and in adherence to safety rules and measures by the governments and health officials.
