View of Fellows in Cohort 3
Its been 3 months of mentorship, Cohort 3 fellows qualify in factchecking stories after getting tools through practical lessons with Ngala Desmond and Paul Joel. Like in Cohort 1 and 2, they provided cohort 3 with tools and instill competence in these fellows to report the best of stories, to deliver what is accurate and authentic for public consumption.
Work session with Fellows
In their third and last meetup which was scheduled for February 16th and 17th 2021, fellows derived satisfaction from practical lessons, throughout the 3months Defyhatenow Factchecking Fellowship Program to combat hate speech, misinformation, disinformation and malinformation both online and offline.
According to the fellows of Cohort 3, the third session of the Africa Fact-checking Fellowship program organised by Defyhatenow_WCA - a hate mitigation organisation, has been enriching with acquisition of knowledge and experience sharing on fact-checking, data journalism, among other diverse issues.
Doh Betrand, The Median Newspaper
One of the fellows Doh Betrand, reporter with The Median Newspaper says skills acquired would ease the use of digital tools to verify and authenticate trending images, videos and other things of doubtful origin on social media, write fact-checking and social health reports, counter online hate and fake news.
Health Reporter, Station Manager Ndefcam Radio
Maikem Emmanuela is a health reporter, Station Manager with Ndefcam Radio Bamenda. The radio's airwaves cuts across the Northwest Media landscape and with its peak programs more of local content and Public Interest, has gained good audience. She says it is important to thread with caution when disseminating information.
"Defyhate has edified me with tools to fact check stories.This is timely given the current socio-political crisis, which has aggravated the spread of fake news. Fight hate speech, misinformation and disinformation in my community, is now priority. Social media has influenced the spread of hate online which is manifested offline, defyhate has taught me to counter hate. I will tell numerical stories via data visualization. That's an upgrade that will not only help me in reporting but other aspects of life." Maikem Emmanuela, Defyhate fellow Cohort 3.
Defyhatenow initiative provides community-based and data-driven solutions to the problem of hate speech, disinformation and misinformation. This network creates a framework for increase trust between stakeholders through mobilizing civic action against all forms of hate speech and incitement to violence, including through disinformation created via the Covid-19 pandemic.
First Cohort
Defyhatenow seek to support voices and actions of citizens working against online induced conflict within and outside affected regions by bringing youth, community leaders, grassroots organizations and further civil society stakeholders into a peace-oriented media and information literacy framework.
Bridging gaps of knowledge and awareness of social media mechanisms between those with access to technology and those without. Defyhatenow is a growing network of online and offline peacebuilders.
By Ndefru Mélanie
678415536