Dr. Aurelia Ayesi, a lecturer at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, has urged Journalists and media institutions to help strengthen the existing democracy in the country.
According to her, the credibility of some journalists and media institutions had become questionable because of the political lens from which they reported.
Dr. Ayesi revealed this to journalists at Takoradi when Dubawa Ghana, a fact-checking institution, in partnership with the United State Embassy of Ghana organized a two-day fact-checking workshop for selected journalists based in non-urban communities in the Western and Western North Regions.
The workshop aimed to train media practitioners to understand the different forms of information and how to fact-check their credibility and authenticity as well as to conduct research and build technological tools that would help identify, analyze, and counter information disorder.
She said fact-checking had become paramount because of the speed at which nonfactual i
nformation traveled, so it was imperative that journalists had the skills to verify whatever they put out there to ensure its correct information.
Before one could correct any false information, it may have gone viral. So, it’s concerted efforts at training journalists to be able to harness those critical skills to better do what you are already doing’.
Dr Ayesi earlier took the participants through the ethics of fact checking and the International Fact Checkers Network (IFCN) Code.
‘Ethics is one of the important pillars that guides fact-checking because fact checking in itself is judgmental journalism. In fact, checking you do not just put out a story with immediacy, it takes time. As a fact-checker, your information should be correct, cross check and ensure its accuracy before you share it with the public’.
‘The IFCN codes talk about credibility of your sources, importance of having multiple sources and being transparent about who your funders are. Resources are one of the key things that determines th
e direction from which you write from’ she added.
Touching on some challenges that journalists encounter, Dr. Ayesi noted that the obvious one was resource constraint and stressed that ‘while journalists themselves have good values and ethics from which they want to report, and rightly so they are also constrained by the kind of media institutions that they work with’.
She stated that ‘a journalist could write a very good fact-checking story but if it does not sit well with his editor or media organization then that story would not be published, so again beyond the resource constraint there is that media ownership angle as well which is also a clear and evident one’.
Source: Ghana News Agency
WINDHOEK: Tim Ekandjo, Chief Human Capital, Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer of Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC), is urging the recently-elected Namibia Football Association leadership to support the senior national football team and avoid dampening their achievement of qualification.
He said this on Friday while announcing the N.dollars 2.4 million injection towards the Brave Warriors’ preparation for the upcoming 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) slated for Ivory Coast from 13 January to 11 February 2024.
Ekandjo’s comments come after a Scottish coach, Simon McMenemy, and his technical team, were rumoured to replace the incumbent Collin Benjamin and his team by 01 January 2024.
Ekandjo said for now the nation should all dedicate their efforts to ensure that the team is in the right frame of mind, with no negativity around its set-up.
‘We owe it to the entire team to go and finish what they have achieved thus far. The qualification period was an extremely difficult and challenging one for
the Brave Warriors considering that they had to endure playing away from home,’ said Ekandjo.
He added MTC is proud to see the Brave Warriors grow from strength to strength.
‘We recognise the triumphant display of perseverance from our national team. Despite various challenges faced, the boys, coach and entire management bravely forged forward and like true warriors, qualified for the upcoming 2023 African top-tier football tournament, AFCON,’ said Ekandjo.
Meanwhile, Director of Sport Jo-Ann Manuel echoed Ekanjo’s sentiments stating that for the first time in 25 years, the Brave Warriors stand a chance of progressing beyond the group stages, taking into account the team’s performance of late.
MTC through its annual innovative initiative, the MTC Knockout Project, in early November announced its intention to raise funds amongst corporate Namibia and boost the Brave Warriors campaign towards the continental tournament to be held in Ivory Coast.
The project aimed to collect N.dollars 5 million, but unfortu
nately, could only raise N.dollars 2.4 million. The Road Fund Administration and the National Housing Enterprise showed their support by contributing N.dollars 100 000 each. Another N.dollars 150 000 was added to the project funds from the gate takings of the Dr Hage Geingob Cup, and the Namibia Special Risk Insurance Association gave N.dollars 50 000. MTC provided N.dollars 2 million to the project.
In Group E, the Brave Warriors will face South Africa, Tunisia and Mali. Their opening match of the championship is scheduled for 16 January 2024, against Tunisia in Korhogo.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency