-To Tackle Information Disorder
BY: Shallon S.Gonlor
GBARNGA, BONG CO. — Maxine Danso, the head of International Expansion and Knowledge Coordination at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has stressed the significant need for journalists to better understand and fight against information disorder.
To combat the “digital information disorder”, which refers to misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, Dubawa together with the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) in partnership with the Google News Initiative (GNI), organized a two day intensive digital skills and fact-checking training for journalists on 3 and 4 June 2024 in Gbarnga, Bong County.
Addressing scores of Liberia media practitioners on the prevailing digital information disorder, emphasising the use of the internet and the media, Dubawa’s fact-checker experts took stock of relevant trends and developments regarding the media content online, including misinformation, namely, inaccurate information; disinformation, in other words, deliberately falsified information; and malinformation, which refers to information that is stripped from its original context in order to mislead, harm, or manipulate.
About 38 mainstream journalists from some parts of Liberia representing diverse media sectors, including the print, and broadcast medias were trained as fact-checkers on the underlying challenges of information disorder to effectively address in a human rights-based manner to avoid chaos.
Held at the Passion Hotel in Gbarnga, Bong County, the Dubawa’s Digital Skills and Fact-checking Training for Journalists underscores both the risks and internal crisis as well as the importance of media and information literacy, combined with critical thinking and analytical skills as effective ways to counter the digital information disorder. Experts also emphasized the key role of fact-checking, as well as journalists reportage as watchdogs to tackle information disorder in the online space.
During her presentation Monday, June 3, 2924 at day one of Dubawa Digital Skills and Fact-checking Training for Journalists, Madam Maxine Gloria Danso, the head of International Expansion and Knowledge Coordination at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) explained that information disorder is a serious harmful public health issue with economic, social, and political effects. due to misinforation, disinformation, and malinformation.
The CJID’s Head of Expansion told the gathering of professional journalists to always be mindful in their report and ensure fact-check report based on truth so as to promote peace and stability in order to avoid causing internal chaos in the public space.
She highlighted that although the era of digital and emerging technology and its rapid development opens up favorable opportunities for the world, but the exploitation of this development by sharing fake news is increasing day by day.
She added that journalists unwittingly play a role in spreading unproven news on a wider scale via the Facebook and other media platforms, stressing that bad actors including politicians only use journalists’ influence to their advantage to get media coverage to spread false news.
The fact-checking training, organized jointly with Dubawa, the CJID and GNI, aims to share knowledge and prevention strategies in combating the exploitation of the digital environment.
According to her, the media serves as a testament of commitment to foster stability and security, highlighting the indispensable role of journalists in confronting the complex challenges of the contemporary society. “In addition, the media plays a pivotal role in facilitating and sharing ‘fake news’ thereby discrediting its unique position as a platform for dialogue and co-operation among its audience,” said CJID Head of Expansion in her presentments.
Meanwhile, DUBAWA Editor, Nathan Gadugah also took the stage displaying an essential theory and practical aspect of fact-check, underlined as dangerous the lack of credibility and the misused of the media, stressing the importance for investigative journalism on fact-check information sharing among governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
He added that false and misleading content divides societies and threatens health and well-being. “We support people and media organisations to counter it,” he stated.
Mr. Gadugah further noted that whether it is rumours, hoaxes, sophisticated and deliberately false or manipulated information, or simple misinterpretations, ‘information disorder’ creates chaos, threatens peace and security.
He than warm journalists to build the principles of public service broadcasting in supplying accurate, trusted and trustworthy information on media platforms that reach people at scale is one of the most effective antidotes to information disorder.
“At the heart of our work is training and mentoring journalists, editors and other media professionals working in local and national media organisations, supporting journalists to deliver trusted information in the public interest is essential”, said the media expert and editor of DUBAWA.
Mr. Nathan Gadugah maintained that strengthening journalists capacity to tackle information disorder, with more robust editorial processes, use of audience research, production and journalism skills, including investigative journalism, fact and source checking remain a key priority.
In addition, he said fact-checkers work helps to ensure that relevant, engaging and trusted public-interest content is widely available in an effort to tackle information disorder, including building resilience to ‘information disorder’ leading to a healthier information environment aim to contribute to more cohesive societies.
Ultimately, there is a need for an investigative journalism in the media space to fact-check whether or not a claim that has been made is true or not, which deserves journalists involvement to take action against the production, consumption and sharing of false or misleading information.
