- On 20 April 2023, the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA) is organizing an online conference to strengthen the fight against mis/disinformation in Africa
- The event will revolve around the theme “Increasing the awareness of stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of the fight against mis/disinformation in Africa”
- It is expected that the discussions will culminate in a set of recommendations to stakeholders to further prevent and control the spread of mis/disinformation in Africa
Policymakers, representatives of non-governmental and civil society organizations, Policymakers, representatives of non-governmental and civil society organizations, journalists, fact checkers and several other key players from Africa will gather online on 20 April 2023, from 11:00 a.m. GMT, to reflect on the best approaches for a more effective fight against misinformation on the continent.
Initiated by the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA), the two-hour meeting focuses on “Increasing the awareness of stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of the fight against mis/disinformation in Africa.”
Established by Code for Africa in 2020, AFCA is a network of over 370 newsrooms from twenty-nine (29) countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which seeks to harness collaboration among its members to effectively combat mis/disinformation.
Amidst a context of misinformation taking on unprecedented proportions in Africa, exacerbating the adverse effects of crises and other disruptors that undermine development efforts of the countries, this forum provides a platform for dialogue among policymakers, media professionals and other stakeholders to discuss forward-looking solutions to tackle the scourge and to enable policymakers and populations to have the right information and make informed and evidence-based decisions.
Specifically, the conference will bring together stakeholders to:
- Present the state of fact-checking in the AFCA region, with a focus on key trends;
- Discuss and review existing national and regional fact-checking frameworks and determine whether they are effective and contribute to the public interest and development;
- Examine the actions required to enhance the effectiveness of fact-checking in combating mis/disinformation; and
- Share lessons learned and identify common priority areas.More than 120 people will attend this continental meeting. It will be structured around an interactive session with a high-level panel, followed by plenary discussions that will permit participants to agree on a set of recommendations to strengthen the effectiveness of the fight against misinformation in Africa.It is expected that the recommendations resulting from the discussions will be presented in a Final Declaration. To register and participate in the event, simply click