Africa Facts, a network of fact-checkers, will gather in person in Kenya for the first time since the COVID-19 disruption in a two-day summit in November.
The summit is slated to be held in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi from 9 to 10 November 2022; it will bring together fact-checking experts and organizations from all over the continent, a press release from the coalition has revealed.
The first Africa Facts meeting was held in 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“We are excited to be hosting this important gathering of African fact-checkers, to share ideas and best practice in effective ways of combating the scourge of misinformation on our continent,” Noko Makgato, the Executive Director of Africa Check, was quoted as saying in the release.
Fact-checkers will discuss several topics on the strengthening of fact-checking in Africa at the summit. These will involve conversations surrounding obstacles in the fight against disinformation and misinformation, why media literacy matters, and responding to fact-checking in challenging environments.
The summit will conclude with the African Fact-Checking Awards gala dinner which is the longest-running awards programme honouring fact-checking journalism in Africa.
“The awards aim to bolster fact-checking excellence throughout the continent,” said Dudu Mkhize, Africa Check’s Outreach Manager.
Speaking on the growing network of fact-checkers in the continent, the Outreach Manager revealed that more than 200 entries were received from over 20 African countries.
Categories for the award include the Fact-Check of the Year by a Working Journalist; Fact-Check of the Year by a Professional Fact-Checker and Fact-Check of the Year by a Student Journalist.
The winners of the working journalist and professional fact-checker categories will each get a prize of US$3,000. The runners-up will receive $1,500. The winner of the student journalist category will be awarded $2,000, while the runner-up will receive $1,000.
