Code for Africa (CfA), on behalf of UNESCO and the Africa Centre for People Institutions and Society, through the European Union-funded project #Coronavirusfacts is seeking to strengthen the capacity of media institutions, journalists, bloggers, and online influencers on fact-checking to address and counter misinformation and disinformation challenges in social media in East Africa.
In this regard, it will offer free online webinars and MOOC-style courses, alongside face-to-face training in an African city near you.
According to Christine Mutisya, a Project Manager at CfA, the project will target a mix of newsroom managers, journalists, social media experts, bloggers and content creators.
“Our courses are all designed to give new practical digital skills, for people working in watchdog media, civil society, and progressive government agencies as well as for university students,” said the organization it its invite.
“If you’re keen to learn a new skill, or brush up on an old one, register now for any of our courses including data literacy and digital journalism, fact-checking and verification, investigative research etc. We’ve also got a big focus on digital security and sustainability/business models,” read another part
Registered participants are regularly invited to additional specialist workshops on topics such as how to use drones for civic good, or how to use low-cost sensors for citizen science (to monitor air/water quality), and how to tap into satellite imagery/data for everything from geo-journalism to monitoring conflict zones.
Launched in 2017, the Academy initiative has been underwritten by a consortium of international partners that includes the Deutsche Welle Akademie, the Google News Initiative, Meedan and the World Bank. The courses are designed and presented by industry experts, using open data and open source toolkits.
Participants who complete the course will be eligible to join the African Fact Checking Alliance Checking Alliance.