Journalists Engaged in a Work Session
Some Journalists in Bamenda have benefited from Draufsicht's Project, through a workshop where they gained skills in factchecking information both online and offline.
The workshop held at Church Centre Bamenda, on February 19th 2021, during a time when the ongoing armed conflict is experiencing another escalation.
In this era of thw ongoing crisis, social media has been used as a tool to push the agenda of propaganda, for perpetrators who take delight in the tension experienced in the NorthWest region.
As many now pocess android phones and have free/easy access to social media, alot of images and videos are dumped on the internet with wrong tags to them, which easily derails the public/society who is at the recieving end, digesting the information.
Society now has a good number of persons passing for photographers and Journalists, with the use of a camera or an android phones. Dzebam Godlove-Draufsicht
founder brought Journalists together for capacity building in Factchecking, which be believes will help Journalists more as they go about their reporting.
Dzebam Godlove- Draufsicht founder.
"The main objective today was to support Journalists with competence in Factchecking information, especially online because we live in very dangerous times, where any person can post anything on social media tagging wrong info to it and derail the population. It is important for Journalists to be equiped with tools to verify what is shared on social media, and be responsible for what they write or say. These tools will support their work" Dzebam Godlove- Draufsicht founder.
Workshop's Facilitator
The facilitator, Vianney Forewah decided to be practical in lessons, asking the Journalists to work in groups to better understand the tools given, revealing elements that make a source credible. To him there was no better way to achieve the day's objective without their collaboration.
"The session was on understanding the different sources and establishing facts about the information gotten. Its about Factchecking and verification of information online, knowing what Factchecking and verification is, while looking at the different ways of Factchecking the different sources of information online to offline sources." Facilitator.
"We looked at how to Factcheck websites and verify information on social media, using case studies from social media profiles to establish the right profile from false ones" He told civiclens.
Group work session
Some participants felt the training suits the times, a period when the armed conflict plays negatively on the population. Petronilla works with Dream FM radio in Bamenda, she tells civiclens that the topic discussed is a whole new idea on its own.
Petronilla,Dream FM radio
"I definitely find the topic of discussion new and believe that it is by practicing that I will retain what I have learnt. Social media is now acessed by millions of people and with the content we find online on daily basis, we get carried away at first sight of information that goes viral. I am happy about the tools discussed, subsequently we can be able to check before sharing" Petronilla.
Tantan Patience, Freelance
Tantan Patience does freelance, she is a Journalist in Bamenda and finds the training enriching. She clings on the watchword "Thinkb4UClick".
"This workshop comes in a time when we have alot of fake news both on and offline. Its is very important for us to know how to check the kind of information we share and its effects on the society. It has been very enriching and we should *#ThinkB4UClick" Tantan Patience.
Grace Ngwafor, Abakwa FM
Grace Ngwafor reports with Abakwa FM radio in Bamenda. Its airwaves reaches out to a wide audience and has peak programs with Interest on local content. She imagines that if wrong information is passed across the air, it will kill the radio's credibility it is trying to build.
"The workshop has been very educative when it comes to publishing verify information through checking your facts. It exposes us on how we can verify information from many sources; on Facebook, websites and other media outlets. Fake news has played a lot when it comes to derailing the minds of the population negatively, and as a journalist we have the obligation to know what is right and wrong before we forward , post or broadcast to give credibility to our stories" Grace Ngwafor, Abakwa FM radio, Bamenda.
Beyond the horizon is the meaning of Draufsicht Bamenda. It is an Organization of young adults that thinks globally and acting locally, being its main Vision. The project focuses on Education, sustainable Education..
"It supports young people in society, to use audio visual means. Use talents for the good of the society making it better" Dzebam Godlove- Draufsicht founder.
By Ndefru Melanie
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