Two journalists from Nigerian Tribune selected as fact-checking fellows 2020

Two seasoned Journalists from Nigerian Tribune have been selected to attend the Dubawa’s fact-checking fellowship 2020.

The fact-checking fellows will tackle misinformation and hold political elites accountable for their words, action, and also, expand the reach of verified information to grassroots communities that are targeted constituencies for political, social and cultural disinformation so they are adequately equipped to hold political elites accountable.

According to Temilade Onilede, Programme Assistant Dubawa, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, out of 104 applicants, Mr Chima Titus Nwokoji of the Business desk and Ifedayo Ogunyemi of the Tribune Online department were among the successful candidates.

While Nwokoji holds a Master of Research and Public Policy from the University of Lagos, his counterpart Mr Ogunyemi is a graduate of Mass Communication from the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

The Fact-checking fellowship will last for six months (July-December 2020) beginning with a 4-day intensive training between 14th-17th of July 2020.

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Specifically, the fact-checking fellows who were selected after rigorous written and oral interviews are required to attend a 4-day virtual training starting today, as it is one of the prerequisites for the fellowship

This is the second edition of the fact-checking fellowship organized by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), through its fact-checking project, DUBAWA, for journalists and researchers.

The Dubawa Fact-Checking Fellowship promotes accountability of public institutions and political office holders by strengthening the individual capacity of journalists to critically examine public statements and supports the establishment of fact-checking desks in various newsrooms across Nigeria and Ghana.

The opportunity is, thus, provided for journalists who are analytical, dedicated, innovative, highly knowledgeable in politics and researchers or academics with demonstrable evidence of commitment/interest in fact-checking as a mechanism for promotion and protection of truth in human affairs.

Inspired by the need to tackle the societal menace of mis- and dis-information in Nigeria and Ghana and creating a safer media ecosystem where truth and accuracy can thrive without jeopardizing freedom of expression, the Dubawa Fellowship according to the organizers is Supported by Heinrich Boll Stiftung Foundation Abuja office and National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

The project requires candidates’ willingness to think about ways to expand the reach of verified information to grassroots communities that are targeted constituencies for political, social and cultural disinformation.