Defyhatenow drills The Guardian Post interns on fact-checking, fight against hate speech….

This was the focus of a session the Communication Manager of the #defyhatenow Cameroon, Laure Nganlay, had with the interns. The session held at The Guardian Post conference room Thursday August 1, 2024.

Through the interactive session, Nganlay drilled the journalism students on importance of debunking false information, the significance of facts, and the nuances of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation as well as the critical role of fact-checking in journalism. 

Nganlay emphasised that accurate information is fundamental to maintaining the integrity of journalism and fostering an informed public. She went on to enjoin the interns to be informed at all times in order to effectively combat misinformation. 

“The most effective strategy journalists can use to counter disinformation is to first of all start by informing themselves. When they are informed about situations happening around their country and communities, it would give them a clearer appreciation and understanding of local events,” Nganlay explained.

Furthermore, she stressed on the importance of continuous training for journalists. 

“Journalists need to gain ICT skills to develop their work experience. The advent of the internet has greatly influenced the way information is produced, spread, and consumed. Journalists must match their capacities accordingly,” she hammered.

Talking about techniques of verifying information, Nganlay pointed to the importance of understanding social media platforms and using existing disinformation and fact-checking tools. 

“There are open-source tools available on the internet, free to use at any time, like Google, Fiandex, and many others,” she noted.

These tools, she said, can help verify pictures, videos, and texts, ensuring accuracy in reporting.

“Go for the fact. The moment you have the slightest doubt about any information, don't publish it until you have confirmed, checked, and verified it,” Nganlay stated. 

The training, which is part of defyhatenow’s broader effort to equip young journalists with the tools they need to promote truthful and responsible reporting, was highly engaging.

The students actively participated and shared their perspectives on the challenges of dealing with false information in the media. 

Enter participants

The close to two-hour training was well received by the interns. One of the journalism students from the University of Buea, Cyprian Bekhali, expressed his enthusiasm. 

“It was exciting. I enjoyed every minute of it. I learned about fact-checking and understood the difference between misinformation and disinformation, which I never knew before,” Bekhali said.

“The exercise was really beautiful. I will make sure I apply all that I have learned today in my journalism practice and ensure I don't give fake news,” he added.

Queueing up from Bekhali, visiting Princess Abessolo Agnes from the International Relations Institute in Cameroon, IRIC, said she learned much. 

“I learned that when you are a journalist and you have information, try to find out more about it before you publish to avoid fake news and misinformation,” Abessolo said. 

About #defyhatenow

The #defyhatenow initiative addresses hate speech, disinformation, and misinformation by providing community-based, data-driven solutions and fostering trust between stakeholders through civic action against hate speech and incitement to violence.

In Cameroon, the initiative supports citizens working against online-induced conflict by involving youth, community leaders, grassroots organisations, and civil society in a peace-oriented media and information literacy framework.

It aims to bridge knowledge gaps in social media use between those with and without access to technology.

Implemented by Civic Watch, a youth-led non-profit organisation in Cameroon, the project mobilises communities to counter hateful rhetoric among young people both online and offline. 

Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, this peacebuilding collaboration has sustained conflict mitigation conversations, developed public resources like bilingual Social Media Hate Speech Mitigation Field Guides and an Early Warning Early Response System, and supported local activists in peace-oriented media activities.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0: 3190 of August 05, 2024