African Union Media Fellows 2.0 (AUMF 2.0), fact-checker Jibi Moses Korsuk. M, and digital journalist Maurice Thantan will facilitate a Civic Tech and Media training on the 7-8 May 2025 at Woodlane Hotel in Gaborone.
Both Moses and Thantan have a decade of experience in fact-checking, digital media, data journalism, and governance. The two have collaborated with development journalist Keletso Thobega, who is also an AU media fellow, as the workshop assistant.
The aim of the training is to contribute to open governance and transparency and foster media innovation in Africa. The workshop is targeted at individuals who work in information sharing career industries, such as media professionals and communications officers in advocacy organisations.
The topics to be covered during the training include: Introduction to disinformation, countering fake news, how to use fact-checking and verification tools, and Introduction to the AU data policy, among others.
The training will culminate with the production of a toolkit, elaborating fact-checking election misinformation and the AU data policy.
The Civic Tech and Media training first started last year virtually, with 100 media professionals from across Africa undergoing the online training.
The in-person training in Gaborone will bring together 30 media professionals and civic activists who were selected following an application call last year.
Moses expressed optimism that the training would “help improve skills in addressing disinformation and ensuring that individuals in information sharing are better equipped to know how to accurately use technology tools to fact-check, particularly in this era of fake news and misinformation.” Thobega said the training would help media professionals better understand the AU data policy in relation to governance and transparency and help them to improve their fact-checking skills.
“Media sustainability is compromised, and it will add value to journalists if they know how to address disinformation and misinformation in this era of fake news. It will also help them improve their election reporting and use data in their reporting. The knowledge and insight gained from the training will also help them broaden and refine their knowledge and skill set in the ever-evolving media landscape.”
