Over 20 mid-career media professionals draw from media outlets in Bamenda have on Thursday 14 October 2021, come together under the umbrella of the Cameroon Association of Media Professionals (CAMP) to gain knowledge on covid 19 response fact checking.
Organized in collaboration with the European Union and UNESCO, the one day workshop taking part simultaneously in the littoral and North regions of the country as well had as aim to equip these media practitioners with knowledge on basic fact checking skills, understand the importance of information verification and how to carry out a successful fact checked story.
Participants in session
Facilitating the workshop, Padmia Shatu the founder for Global Initiative for Digital Inclusion and Communication (GIDICom) , digital right activist and certified fact checker pointed out basic facts of feck checking, taking note of who made an online post, and the purpose for such a post. Stating that the damage from the COVID-19 pandemic has been amplified by the accompanying “infodemic” of false and misleading information. She further told the participants to note the fact that “false and misleading information puts people’s health and lives at risk reason why these mid-career journalist should always know the effect of every fact checked story to the community. To conclude her presentation, Pedmia quoted “we need to sanitize not just our hands, but our minds too.”
Worth noting is the fact that this workshop was graced with the National President for the Cameroon Association of Media Professional, Mr Agborem Solomon, who while addressing the participants, expressed nostalgia and gratitude. “. “It is the first time a top official of CAMP is visiting the North West region for an official assignment and to see how vibrant how vibrant the press core is fairing despite the challenges …. Let me thank CAMP members in the North West who have been on their toes to make sure this workshop is successful.”
He further stated the importance and relevance of such a workshop “this comes at a time when information is being manipulated day-in-day-out, it comes at a time when the public is in dire need to make informed choices and we cannot be indifferent that to fill this gap by delivering trainings to update journalist who are affected by the realities on the ground. Fact checking goes along side trust and trust builds credibility. This credibility goes beyond a news organ, it takes the effort and professionalism of the journalist to counteract this misinformation, disinformation and to say the least fake news”. He said
Solomon Agborem, President Cameroon Association of Media professionals
Gilla Everdine a participant at the workshop says the workshop has impacted her and will help her go a long way “I learnt the what fact checking of news is all about and how to go about fact checking, the different ways on how to spot news. This training will help me in my career as a journalist as I now know that before sharing any information I should make sure it is the right information I am sharing.”
Created on December 10, 2005, the CAMP is and association specialized in effective use of information and communication technology for education, global information dissemination and access for development promoting democracy and good governance in national capacity building, promoting community health, cultural preservation, fight against social injustice thereby mainstreaming gender and poverty alleviation.
By Tantan Patience
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