MONROVIA – As a part of its efforts to fight disinformation and help data integrity in Liberia by way of media literacy and coaching, Local Voices Liberia has efficiently concluded a fact-checking symposium for over 50 journalism college students of the Peter Quaqua College of Journalism in Monrovia.
As future journalists, the individuals’ expertise and information have been enhanced in fact-checking and data integrity, they usually have been uncovered to a panel dialogue that includes themes on the importance of fact-checking in selling Liberia’s democracy.
Held on August 29, within the auditorium of Religion Basis College at Harvest Intercontinental Ministry in Congo City, the symposium is a part of the Liberia Media Empowerment Venture (LMEP) carried out by Internews with funding by the European Union to advertise data integrity and strengthen Liberia’s democracy.
Atty. Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, Govt Director of Native Voices Liberia, described the symposium as an “alternative for journalism college students to get primary information about fact-checking to enhance the data ecosystem”.
“As journalists-in-training, you might be anticipated to start cultivating the mandatory fact-checking expertise that enhance the standard of journalism in Liberia, and this can be a nice alternative to study in regards to the significance of fact-checking in data sharing,” Atty. Senkpeni advised the individuals in the beginning of the one-day occasion.
“You all must domesticate the ability of truth checking so that you could fight disinformation to make sure our democracy is strengthened since you all know the way highly effective data may be and in a democratic nation like ours.”
Additionally talking, Ms. Rita Jlogbe, Journalism Program Officer at Internews, emphasised the significance of the symposium, urging college students to grab the chance and function ambassadors of fact-checking to assist stop the unfold of deceptive data within the public sphere.
“We, as younger folks, are just like the forerunners of at present’s world; we’re those who’re largely utilizing social media. The second we come throughout data on social media, whether or not it’s true or not, we share with out verifying, particularly whether it is saying share with three or 5 hundred folks and win this x-amount of cash,” Ms. Jlogbe confused whereas cautioning the journalism college students to watch out in regards to the hazard of disinformation.
Along with a lecture on fact-checking and verification, the symposium additionally featured a fascinating panel dialogue with three distinguished audio system sharing insights on how fact-checking strengthens democracy, promotes accountability, and upholds data integrity in Liberia.
Moderated by skilled broadcaster Varflay Kamara of ELBC, the dialogue featured: Atty. Al-Varney Rogers, a Liberian Journalist and Media Lawyer; Ms. Ruth Gbato, a communication skilled with expertise in data integrity, and Amos Williams, a Liberian Diplomat.
The three audio system shared their views on how disinformation undermines the soundness of democratic societies, drawing on the Liberian context to focus on components that usually gasoline the unfold of distorted data. The panelists additionally examined the authorized framework governing free speech and advised sensible steerage on how journalists can guard in opposition to being misled by orchestrated disinformation campaigns.
The session generated robust curiosity from college students, a lot of whom actively engaged with the panel by asking questions in regards to the media’s position in countering disinformation and exploring methods college students themselves can contribute to tackling the problem.
The August 29th symposium marks the fifth in a sequence of symposia organized by Native Voices Liberia aimed toward educating college students and the general public about the specter of disinformation and methods to counter this risk by fact-checking and media literacy to strengthen Liberia’s democracy.
LVL is anticipated to conduct a number of extra symposiums concentrating on Journalism college students of universities and journalism faculties throughout the nation.
