The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and Dubawa have partnered with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, to train journalists on Digital Skills and Fact-Checking.
The two-day training, supported by the Google News Initiative, took place between Thursday and Friday last week at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar, and was duly attended by 45 journalists from the electronic, print and online media who were exposed to the fundamentals of fact-checking and digital verification.
The training which aimed at enhancing digital skills and fact-checking among media professionals in Cross River, was elaborate in scope and handled by various resource persons and experts who covered areas such as fact-checking steps and methodologies, utilising Google digital verification tools, ethics in fact-checking, and digital safety for journalists.
One of the resource persons and trainers, Mr Silas Jonathan, Research Manager at CJID, provided insights into various forms of information disorder and guided participants on using open-source investigation tools to counter misinformation.
Another resource person, Temilade Onilade, project manager at Dubawa, exposed participants to effective fact-checking methodologies, while also offering practical tips on claim identification and debunking of viral falsehoods.
An interactive session on digital safety and security was anchored by Lateef Sanni, Communications Officer at Dubawa. He educated participants on safeguarding personal and professional data in the digital age. He also introduced a Chatbot and Audio platform developed by Dubawa to enhance the fact-checking process.
Another in-depth session was facilitated by Busari Kemi, an editor at Dubawa. He shared his expertise on ethical considerations and the application of the Freedom of Information law in fact-checking, providing practical examples to enhance participants’ skills.
Speaking at the conclusion of the training, State Chairman of NUJ, Ms Archibong Bassey, thanked the organizers for bringing the training to Cross River. She stated that the training aligns with her desire to enhance and build the capacity of media professionals in the state.
She therefore urged participants to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired in the course of the training to enhance their work as journalists.