Africa Check, Africa’s first non-partisan, non-profit fact-checking organisation, in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute Journalism, NIJ has trained 18 select mid-level journalists at a two-day fact-checking workshop sponsored by the United State Embassy in Nigeria.
The workshop which held in Lagos on Thursday 22 to Friday 23, 2018 covered a range of master classes on research skills, data journalism and fact-checking. These include fact-checking key claims, to spotting internet hoaxes and doctored images, and working with data around crime, health, education, public opinion and other topics.
The participants were specifically trained on how to fact-check claims and promises made by politicians in preparation for the general elections in Nigeria coming up in 2019.
Speaking at the workshop, Gbemiga Ogunleye, the Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, who was represented by Dele Omojuyigbe, the institute’s Head of Department, General Studies, said the workshop could not have come at a better time in this era of disinformation, misinformation, alternative facts or outright fabrication.
“As journalists, we should be worried that our profession is fast losing public respect and trust as a result of publication or broadcast of fake news,” Ogunleye said.
He added that embracing fact-checking is a return to the “good old ways of ethical and responsible journalism.”
Lekan Otufodunrin, managing editor, Online and Social Publications, The Nations Newspaper, urged the participants to make the best use of the opportunity to add to their media skills set.
“Being a journalist in 2018 and beyond will require more than the way we have always sourced and disseminated information. We will need to master new skills like fact-checking to remain relevant and be able to function as a multimedia journalist in and out of full time employment considering the changing media landscape,” Otufodunrin said.
The workshop was facilitated by David Ajikobi, Africa Check’s Nigeria Editor; Jide Johnson, Deputy Provost of Nigerian Institute of Journalism; Maureen Popoola, a lecturer at the institute, and Allwell Okpi, the Research & Community Manager of Africa Check.
The participants, who were drawn from leading newspapers, online news websites, radio and TV stations received certificates of completion at the end of the workshop and were added to a mailing list of alumni of Africa Check training. They will get occasional emails with tips on latest developments in the world of fact-checking to keep them up-to-date in sorting facts from fiction, fake news and online misinformation.
Chinwe Agbeze
