AFRICA CHECK: Fact Checking

 

Africa Check is an African based fact checking organization that sorts facts from untrue news stories by identifying important public statements, cross examining the best available evidence and publishing fact-checking reports.

The organization hosted a training session with TUT Journalism students to teach them about the fact checking process. The representative of the organization, Carina van Wyk was the one who ran the session. She said one of the most important things about fact checking is that it promotes accountability and attempts to ensure that people receive high quality news. It also protects us from being vulnerable to receiving fake news due to things such as conceptual bias.

She said that in the process of fact checking, it is essential to firstly see whether the statement can be verified or it’s just an opinion. If it can be verified, then go on to identify the original source and verify content by defining terms and concepts within claims. To do this, one can get official and scientific meanings and also look back in time where the terms may have been used. Then one should inspect evidence using latest reliable data such as contacting experts from which data can be verified. Lastly, sort out the evidence and reach your conclusion.

The training session was helpful to many of the attendees, as they’ve learned the importance of to not just use every piece of information that gets to you or you happen to have interest in, you have to fact check first.