The Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (DUBAWA) has begun a three-day fact-checking masterclass training intended for officials of government agencies and parastatals in Liberia.
The training, which started on Monday, August 28 and brought together over 20 participants, ends on August 30, 2023 in Monrovia. Participants include key officials from the National Elections Commission (NEC), Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, the Liberian Senate, and the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).
With support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the training is expected to combat information disorder by building the fact-checking and digital verification capacity of key officials in government institutions/agencies, while ensuring trust and safety in the digital space.
The training will cover topics such as democracy and good governance: The intersection between accountability journalism and civic participation, contemporary response to information disorder and online vices, fact-checking as a service and practice in any sector, practical sessions on digital verification tools, cybersecurity and staying safe online.
The training is the first of its kind to be provided for officials in government. DUBAWA has conducted similar trainings for state agencies in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana.