DUBAWA Nigeria trains Edo Journalists on Fact-checking, digital skills

By Mercy Onyenweli

Ahead of September 21st Governorship election in Edo State, a reputable non governmental organization, DUBAWA Nigeria in collaboration with Google News Initiative has trained Journalists in Edo State on rudiments of fact-checking and digital skills.

Declaring the two days training open, in Benin City, the Program Officer of DUBAWA Nigeria, Ms. Temilade Onilade noted that the organization’s goal is to empower Journalists with digital skills and fact checking tools to reduce the spate of fake news and misleading information which has often times cause tension that leads to crisis.

The resource persons who took their turns to deliver their lectures are the deputy Director, Accountability Project of the center for Journalism innovation and development, Mr. Mbohor Eno, Director of Programmes, Akintunde Babatunde ,Audience Engagement, Lateef Sanni, basically dwell on how Journalists can carryout fact-checking on stories, videos and images before puting them out for public consumption.

According to Ms. Temilade, as the society is evolving, Journalists must have an open mind and move with time. She further stressed that Journalists must desist from old practices that have not helped to improve the Profession and embrace better and innovative approaches that would help to reduce mis leading and fake information.

Decrying how the public has lost trust and confidence on the Media Industry due to the influx of new media where uncensored news materials are chun out on a daily basis, Mr. Mboho Eno stressed that Journalists have a major role to play to change the narrative and engineer Peace in the country.

Speaking on how Journalists can fact-check doctored images and videos , the Digital Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Disorder Analyst (DAIDAC), Silas Jonathan revealed technics and methods that could help reporters to fact check stories before publishing them.

Mr. Silas pointed out that the only way media houses can be distinguished is when they carry out proper fact checking on stories and images and report facts to the public.

Highpoint of the event was the interactive section where Journalists asked questions, and received clarifications from the resource persons.

Speaking after the event, some participants expressed their satisfaction and appeal that such training should be sustained.
Ms. Pat Osarugiuwa said.”
My deepest gratitude to the team from Dubawa and CJID, I really enjoyed every minute of your lectures, especially on fact checking, Google tools for fact checking, Google advanced search , cyber security and freedom of information Act”

Rita Enemeru has this to say,

“The knowledge I got from this training exceeded my expectations. I have started using some of the tools that were introduced to me in this training and I’m marveled at how easy it has made the process of turning in my report been. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn, unlearn and relearn. Thank you Dubawa, thank you CJID and a trailer load of thanks to the facilitators that took out time to teach the practical and theoretical uses of all the Google fact checking tools.