By Fatima Saka
Amidst the evolving landscape of information dissemination, the National Record, an online newspaper, has conducted a training program for journalists focusing on enhancing their skills in Fact-Checking and Data Journalism.
Journalists from various media platforms across the country recently convened in Abuja for this capacity-building initiative.
This program marks the culmination of a 3-year training series initiated in 2022 by the National Record under the auspices of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ). The project, themed Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability (C-MEDIA), received financial backing from the MacArthur Foundation.
Participants in this year’s training were selected from print, electronic, and online media organizations.
During the opening session of the program, Iduh Onah, the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of National Record, articulated the overarching goal of the training: to enlighten young journalists on the importance of fact-checking in the current era dominated by social media.
Onah highlighted the decision to shift the training focus from investigative journalism to fact-checking and data journalism in response to the information revolution spurred by social media.
He expressed concern over the prevalent trend of journalists sourcing stories from social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram without conducting thorough fact-checks.
He urged journalists to meticulously verify all information sourced from social media before dissemination, stressing the necessity of fact-checking in an age characterized by misinformation.
Notably, previous training sessions organized by National Record in the first two years centered on investigative journalism, aligning with the core objectives of the C-MEDIA project.
The conviction of WSCIJ is that by equipping reporters with investigative reporting methodologies and directing their focus towards scrutinizing the actions of those in power, particularly at sub-national levels, these reports can have a significant impact at national, state, and local government levels.
Over the past two years, numerous stories have been produced, primarily focusing on rural areas, as highlighted by Onah.
In fighting corrupt practices, WSCIJ and the MacArthur Foundation emphasized the critical nature of accountability reporting in exposing corrupt practices among governance officials at state and local levels, as well as in the private sector, particularly concerning environmental degradation and other unethical activities at sub-national levels.
The training program featured four presentations that delved into fact-checking, data journalism, and the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Dr. Theophilus Abbah, the program manager at Daily Trust Foundation, Abuja, delivered a comprehensive presentation on Introduction to Fact-Checking and Verification.
He imparted essential skills and knowledge to participants on verifying stories to prevent the publication of biased or emotionally driven content.
Abbah emphasized the importance of verifying press releases from government entities and cautioned against disseminating malicious stories aimed at tarnishing individuals, even if the information is accurate.
Speaking further he introduced participants to various online resources that journalists can utilize to fact-check stories, images, and videos.
Mr. Martins Ayotunde, a CFA fact-checker, conducted a session on identifying and fact-checking social media platforms, focusing on Platforms Investigation: An Introduction to Social Media Investigation.
He warned against Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior (CIB) such as manipulating public opinion through misinformation on social media platforms.
On the second day of the program, Victoria Bamas, the Editor of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR), delivered a presentation titled Fact-Checking Visual Claims: Image Verification, Video Verification, and Fact-Checking Websites.
She enlightened participants on tactics used to manipulate videos, websites, and audio recordings, and provided guidance on verifying such deceptive practices.
In greater technical detail, Ayotunde and Bamas elaborated on methods of utilizing websites to verify information in various formats, especially those obtained from social media and the internet.
Mr. Diego Okenyodo, the Executive Director of Akweya TV, Abuja, guided participants on Leveraging Data Journalism and Artificial Intelligence for News and Content Innovation.
He advocated for the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to construct narratives based on factual information. Okenyodo encouraged journalists to incorporate data into their storytelling to engage readers effectively, noting the diminishing attention span for lengthy articles in today’s information-rich environment.
