AFRICANÂ fact-checkers from over 50 organisations spanning at least 30 countries have united under a new declaration to confront the spread of false information on the continent.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Executive Director of Africa Check, Noko Makgato on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.
The statement noted that the Accra Declaration on Information Integrity and Resilience, which was unveiled at the sixth annual African fact-checking summit in Ghana, outlines a commitment to bolster information integrity and expand media literacy among Africa’s youth and underserved communities.
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“In signing the Accra Declaration on Information Integrity and Resilience, the organisations pledged to engage civil society, responsive governments, technology platforms, regional, global and multilateral institutions and communities to build information hygiene, integrity and entrench information resilience.
The fact-checkers will offer information resilience clinics to Africa’s young people – who make up more than 60 per cent of the continent’s population – to help them read smarter, listen objectively, spot dodgy information and debunk falsehoods” part of the statement read.
Makgato noted that after promoting honest debate and information hygiene for a decade, these principles are now formally set to rebuild information integrity across Africa.
“For the last decade, we have been speaking about the value of honest public debate, maintaining information hygiene, and ensuring that public figures in Africa make decisions based on quality data and facts. Now, we have put all the ideas on paper as a first step to building – or rebuilding – information resilience and integrity on the continent.” Makgato said.
The statement further highlighted that the organisations plan to broaden their reach to community radio and local media—key news sources in rural areas with limited or no internet. Fact-checkers will also visit schools, community centers, and homes lacking internet, empowering people to critically assess information, verify sources, and counter falsehoods.
The head of outreach and impact at Africa Check, Hlalani Gumpo stated that the Africa Facts Network’s reach across 30+ countries in twelve years highlights the urgent need to tackle misinformation.
“Seeing the Africa Facts Network’s footprint in more than 30 countries within twelve years of Africa Check’s pioneering role on the continent signals the enormity of the harm done by false information and the urgency to innovate and work together to fight mis- dis- and malinformation.” Gumpo stated.
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The statement further highlighted that the declaration emphasizes key concerns for African fact-checkers, including gendered disinformation, language diversity, vulnerable offline communities, climate issues, media distrust, resource limitations, and politically sensitive contexts.
It also acknowledges the risks of harassment and violence faced by fact-checkers and investigative journalists, urging governments and advocacy groups to support policies and rapid-response measures for their protection.
Additionally, the organisations have committed to working with tech partners on AI-driven tools to strengthen their operations and aid communities in combating misinformation.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].