Two journalists from ElB Network’s English Cluster, Ekow Boakye and Enoch Edem-Kojo have been inducted into the first cohort of Fortify the Truth Community – an initiative by international nonprofit organization, WITNESS.
The three-day intensive workshop which took place in Abuja, Nigeria from May 29 to 31 trained 17 participants in digital verification, open-source investigation, archiving practices, and data analysis, empowering them to defend human rights and strengthen democracy.
Opening the training, Programme Manager (Africa) at WITNESS, Nkem Agunwa underscored the value of equipping communities with tools and knowledge to combat disinformation.
“We have identified that the assumption that digital verification is a widespread skill is based on the privilege of a few and does not reflect the realities of the vast majority of frontline defenders and journalists whose work and lived experiences are under threat of being discredited. Our approach is rooted in the belief that a community-based verification process is not only effective but also empowers individuals and communities to stand firm in the face of disinformation including government sponsored discrediting,” Agunwa disclosed.
The first cohort, which saw participants from Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, were trained and will be chaperoned for the following twelve months by experts from WITNESS, Lagos Business School- Nigeria, Dubawa and Nation Media- Kenya.
For the duo from EIB Network, participating in the workshop represents a new dawn of eagle-eyed accuracy in news reportage and data analysis with the help of ultramodern tools and skills picked up from the training – a point emphasised by Coordinator of Video as Evidence Programme at WITNESS
“By developing skills in audiovisual analysis, this project aims to leverage the cohort members’ skills and knowledge to raise the value of documentation, so that it can be reliably used by themselves, or others seeking accountability. Pushing back dismissals, denials or delegitimization, communities have the power to defend their truth and should leverage their collective wisdom,” Edwards explained.
Patrons of GHOne Television, Starr 103.5FM and Starrfm.com.gh in the coming weeks are in for breathtaking content as Broadcast Journalist, Ekow Boakye is expected to amplify media literacy through a programme designed to empower communities using tailored videos and real-life examples to teach viewers how to break the chain of misinformation and disinformation. Edem-Kojo, will also equip community based journalist and student journalists who often are at the centre stage of electoral coverages with tools to tackle mis/disinformation as part of his project with support from WITNESS.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ekow Boakye
