Roundcheck’s festival showcases poetry as tool for media Literacy

Held at the University of Lagos on December 12, 2025, the festival brought together poets, journalists, fact-checkers, educators, and students to explore how spoken-word poetry and creative expression can be used to encourage critical thinking, responsible media engagement, and resistance to misinformation.

The event demonstrated how spoken-word poetry can convey messages across various themes, including governance and elections, artificial intelligence, human rights, gender, education, and youth participation in digital spaces, particularly among younger audiences who dominate online conversations.

In his opening remarks, Roundcheck’s Executive Director, Caleb Ijioma, explained that Truth in Verse emerged from the intersection of his passion for spoken-word poetry and his professional work in fact-checking.

He noted that words have the power not only to express emotions but also to shape how people understand and interpret information.

Ijioma highlighted Nigeria’s large and youthful digital population, noting that while the country has over 122 million internet users, only a small percentage possess the skills required to critically question and evaluate online content.

He observed that this gap has contributed to the rapid spread of rumours and false narratives, particularly during sensitive periods such as elections.

“With 70 per cent of our population under 30, young people are at the centre of this challenge. They are the ones most exposed to false information, and at the same time, they are the ones with the strongest potential to change the story,” he said.

“One thing that has always stood out to me is how spoken word poetry speaks to young people. It carries messages in a way that is easy to feel, easy to remember, and easy to share. This is why we believe poetry can help promote media and information literacy in a way that is fresh, creative, and relatable.”

According to him, Truth in Verse was conceived as a space where poetry, storytelling, workshops, and fact-checking intersect to help young people think more critically, engage more responsibly with the media, and use their voices to stand for truth.

He added that by blending art with awareness, the festival offers more than conventional learning, aiming to build lasting collaboration between poets, journalists, educators, and fact-checkers while producing resources that extend beyond the event, including an anthology and educational materials.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Editor at Africa Check, Motunrayo Joel, stressed the importance of cultivating a habit of verification among young people.

She urged audiences to question information before sharing it and to look beyond personal biases when consuming media content.

Several panel sessions featured experts discussing strategies for strengthening MIL in newsrooms and expanding its reach across Africa.

Senior Reporter at The Nation newspaper, Alao Abiodun, emphasised that fact-checking should begin at the reporting stage, describing journalists as the first line of defence against misinformation and underscoring the need for accuracy before stories reach editors.

UNESCO MIL expert, Olunifesi Suraj, focused on the role of education, arguing that media and information literacy must start in the classroom. He described the gap between academic training and newsroom practice as a major setback to effective verification and called for stronger collaboration between educators, practitioners, and fact-checking organisations.

Community Manager at Africa Check, Allwell Okpi, spoke on newsroom collaboration, noting that while partnerships between media organisations and fact-checkers exist, many lack structure and sustainability.

He called for more intentional collaborations that embed fact-checking expertise directly into newsroom operations.

The Head of Insights at SBM Intelligence, Victor Ejechi, highlighted the role of data and analytics in identifying misinformation trends, encouraging journalists to become more comfortable working with numbers, especially when reporting on government statistics, budgets, and socio-economic indicators.

Founder of Naija Poetry Fest, Godson Osarenren, noted that creative platforms play a crucial role in amplifying advocacy and inspiring social change, adding that consistent creative expression can empower young people to stand for truth and become agents of change.

Key recommendations from the festival included integrating fact-checking and MIL into journalism education, continuous newsroom training on data literacy, and leveraging creative expressions such as poetry and art to improve media literacy.

The event also featured the introduction of Roundcheck’s new product, Civic Play, a web-based game designed to promote civic awareness and participation.

Project Manager Ilerioluwa Philips explained that the game was developed with young Nigerians in mind, allowing them to learn civic values while having fun.

The festival concluded with the launch of the Truth in Verse Anthology, a collection of poems written by festival participants.

Roundcheck is an independent fact-checking organisation focused on combating misinformation through youth engagement, digital literacy, and media and information literacy, with particular attention to education, governance, health, elections, and marginalised communities.