{"id":3544,"date":"2022-11-18T12:01:17","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T12:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1307007.us31.myftpupload.com\/?p=3544"},"modified":"2023-04-18T12:27:58","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T12:27:58","slug":"factspace-and-ifcn-train-sierra-leonean-journalists-in-fact-checking-and-news-verification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/factspace-and-ifcn-train-sierra-leonean-journalists-in-fact-checking-and-news-verification\/","title":{"rendered":"FactSpace and IFCN train Sierra Leonean journalists in fact-checking and news verification"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>FactSpace West Africa with support from the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has trained 25 journalists in Sierra Leone in fact-checking, news verification and effective ways of countering misinformation\/disinformation campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>The journalists who were drawn from 10 newsrooms (print, radio, TV and online) are expected to serve as in-house fact-checkers for their various media houses and work collectively under the <strong>Sierra Leone Fact-Checking Network<\/strong> ahead of the country\u2019s general elections in 2023.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Officials of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USEmbFreetown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@USEmbFreetown<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SLAJ_Salone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@SLAJ_Salone<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/factchecknet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@factchecknet<\/a>, Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, SL Ministry of Information and MRCG are on the high table to share some remarks before the start of our maiden workshop in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SierraLeone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#SierraLeone<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FactSpaceSierraLeone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#FactSpaceSierraLeone<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bwnM8qzzXB\">pic.twitter.com\/bwnM8qzzXB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 FactSpace (@FactspaceWA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FactspaceWA\/status\/1593547340178247685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 18, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re concerned about how misinformation can easily find its way onto community radio stations especially ahead of the elections,\u201d Spokesperson of the Ministry of Information and Communication Emmanuel Toure said in his address to journalists before the start of the training programme.<\/p>\n<p>According to the government, the violent protests and riots that broke out in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sierra_Leone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sierra Leone<\/a> in August 2022, should serve as a wake-up call for journalists to duly verify any information before publication on mainstream media.<\/p>\n<p>Also speaking at the opening, the Public Affairs Officer of the\u00a0United States Embassy in Sierra Leone, Sara Van Horne said: \u201cMy country, as well as yours, have suffered from misinformation that have real-life consequences\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The risk of just forwarding a message on social media or republishing press statements without fact-checking is that the message you might be publishing could be misinformation or disinformation &#8211; Sara Van Horne of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USEmbFreetown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@USEmbFreetown<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FactSpaceSierraLeone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#FactSpaceSierraLeone<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YBnhJ4bNxa\">pic.twitter.com\/YBnhJ4bNxa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 FactSpace (@FactspaceWA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FactspaceWA\/status\/1593550218334797824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 18, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>According to her, the risk of just forwarding a message on social media or republishing press statements without fact-checking is that the message could be misinformation or disinformation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re confident journalists will play their roles well by reporting accurately and fact-checking viral claims,\u201d President of \u00a0Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid assured.<\/p>\n<p>The workshop had two on-ground facilitators, including the Director of FactSpace West Africa, Rabiu Alhassan and the Community and Impact Manager at the International Fact-checking Network (IFCN), Enock Nyariki.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">You should expect bad online actors to target key institutions like the Election Commission and CSOs, trying to destroy their credibility &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mougendi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@mougendi<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/meedan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@meedan<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FactSpaceSierraLeone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#FactSpaceSierraLeone<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7A7j1AEjdz\">pic.twitter.com\/7A7j1AEjdz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 FactSpace (@FactspaceWA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FactspaceWA\/status\/1593610984031125504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">November 18, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Other trainers that connected virtually included Eric Mugendi of Meedan\/ Check Global and Peter Cunliffe Jones, founder of Africa Check.<\/p>\n<p>In June 2022, FactSpace West Africa with support from the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) trained about 30 electoral commission officials from The Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone to be more responsive to emerging online threats and risks.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>By: FactSpace WA<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FactSpace West Africa with support from the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has trained 25 journalists in Sierra Leone&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":3545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[34,7],"tags":[24,38],"coauthors":[472],"class_list":["post-3544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sierra-leone","category-press-releases","tag-factspace-west-africa","tag-ifcn"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":34,"label":"Sierra Leone"},{"value":7,"label":"Press Releases"}],"post_tag":[{"value":24,"label":"FactSpace West Africa"},{"value":38,"label":"IFCN"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sierra-Leone-2-1024x768.jpeg",1024,768,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Rabiu Alhassan","author_link":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/author\/rabiu-alhassan\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":34,"name":"Sierra Leone","slug":"sierra-leone","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":34,"taxonomy":"category","description":"<div class=\"row clearfix\">\r\n<div class=\"col-md-6\">\r\n\r\nGet the latest Sierra Leone fact-checks from FactSpace West Africa, an independent, non-partisan organisation working to tackle mis\/disinformation and propaganda across West Africa.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"col-md-6\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div>","parent":0,"count":35,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":34,"category_count":35,"category_description":"<div class=\"row clearfix\">\r\n<div class=\"col-md-6\">\r\n\r\nGet the latest Sierra Leone fact-checks from FactSpace West Africa, an independent, non-partisan organisation working to tackle mis\/disinformation and propaganda across West Africa.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"col-md-6\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div>","cat_name":"Sierra Leone","category_nicename":"sierra-leone","category_parent":0},{"term_id":7,"name":"Press Releases","slug":"press-releases","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":85,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":7,"category_count":85,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Press Releases","category_nicename":"press-releases","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":24,"name":"FactSpace West Africa","slug":"factspace-west-africa","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":24,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":28,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":38,"name":"IFCN","slug":"ifcn","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":38,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3544"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8438,"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3544\/revisions\/8438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3544"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enspirefx.com\/royale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=3544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}