FactSpace West Africa Equip Kano Journalists with Social Media Fact-Checking Tools
By Mustapha Salisu
In a bid to combat the spread of misinformation online, FactSpace West Africa, a leading West African fact-checking organization, partnered with USAID to train journalists in Kano State on the use of Social Media Analytics (SMA) tools.
The training, held today (Tuesday) at Chilla Luxury Suites, brought together journalists from radio, television, and print media.
Rabiu Alhassan, Director of FactSpace West Africa, while speaking to PRIME TIME NEWS correspondent after the event explained that the training focused on a paid tool called “Brandwatch”.
“Brandwatch allows journalists and researchers to gather comprehensive information on various subjects as they play out online across different social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter),” Alhassan said, highlighting the importance of X’s API access for Brandwatch’s functionality.
He added that the training aimed to enhance the participants’ social listening skills and equip them to conduct evidence-based research on public issues, starting from online trends and extending to offline impacts.
“We expect these journalists to leverage this training and collaborate with FactSpace West Africa on in-depth public interest research. This research will be used to raise awareness about attempts to manipulate online trends and influence conversations. We want the public to be able to make informed decisions without being swayed by inauthentic online behaviour” Alhassan said.
He further explained that the selected journalists will become part of a network similar to those established in Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. This network will facilitate shared learning experiences, allowing them to benefit from existing knowledge within the group.
“The journalists will be expected to act as in-house fact-checkers within their newsrooms, conducting research and producing verifiable information for the public. Additionally, text-based fact-checks combined with social listening reports will be published on their respective media platforms” Alhassan explained.
Rabiu concluded by urging other journalists to develop their fact-checking skills and encouraging media houses to invest in equipping their staff with the necessary tools to combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
