Africa-Press – Liberia. Thirty- Five Journalists across Liberia recently participated in an intensive two-day digital skills and fact-checking training program aimed at enhancing their digital skills and fact-checking abilities. This initiative was organized by Dubawa Media Organization in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and the Google News Initiative.
Held in Gbarnga City, Bong County, the training sought to build the capacity of journalists in non-urban communities to combat the pervasive challenge of information disorder.
Nathan Gadugah, Editor of Dubawa Media Organization, in an interview, emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue of information disorder, commonly known as fake news.
Gadugah noted the adverse impacts of misinformation on democratic institutions, elections, and personal decision-making.
“We are in an information ecosystem where there is a challenge of information disorganization or fake news and we know that this information disorder is harming everything that we do, “he stated. “It is impacting negatively on our democratic institutions; it is harming elections and even on the personal choices that people make.”
According to him, the issue of information disorder is having an adverse effect and journalists who frequently interface with the public, are most often the target of the acts of disinformation and misinformation.
Gadugah stressed that Dubawa and CJID, in partnership with the Google News Initiative, thought it necessary to build the capacity of journalists in non-urban communities to help combat the challenge identified as an information disorder.
“If we are to fight fake news, one of the best people we need to equip is journalists, because they interface with the public almost every day and we also know that some actors in disinformation actually target Journalists because they want credibility and they believe that journalists have credibility,” he added. “So once it is the Journalists who are spreading the fake news, people are likely to believe it as quickly as possible.”
He said as people who want to protect the sanctity of information and the information ecosystem, they also must build the capacity of journalists to be able to fight the conqueror of information disorder.
He further said that their mission was to share knowledge and to build the skills and capacity of Liberian Journalists to be able to fight the conqueror of information disorder.
In conclusion, he expressed gratitude for the journalists’ enthusiastic participation in the training, sharing his experience of over two decades as a practicing journalist and his joy in imparting knowledge to his colleagues across the continent.
“Over the last two days, it has been nothing short of passion and excitement and the sessions have been informative, passionate, and insightful,” he said.
Aminata S. Kromah, a reporter at Atlantic Broadcasting Corporation (ABC Radio) in Monrovia, shared how the training significantly impacted her.
She plans to apply what she learned to advance her career and expressed appreciation to Dubawa, CJID, and the Google News Initiative for the valuable training.
She extends appreciation to Dubawa, CJID, and the Google News Initiative for the training that has been a great one for them as Journalists who turned out, and urged Dubawa not to stop but rather continue with such training in order to help build Journalists up.
Tommy Kennedy, a reporter at Bushrod Radio in Monrovia, described the training as a wonderful experience that opened their minds to various aspects of journalism and fact-checking.
He emphasized their intention to apply the newly acquired knowledge to transform their journalism practices and positively impact society.
“We are looking forward to more engagements like this, which we believe will help us greatly in opening our minds and positively affecting our community,” Kennedy stated.
Garmi Tarnue, a reporter for Radio Gbarnga, extended her appreciation to Dubawa and its partners on behalf of her radio station and other media outlets in Bong County. She praised the training as a grand and eye-opening initiative for journalists and expressed hope for more such opportunities in the future.
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