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The 2024 Africa Facts summit, scheduled for October 9-10 in Accra, Ghana, will bring together fact-checking organizations and experts from across the continent.
Underscoring the advancements achieved by organisations combating misinformation across the continent, the Africa Facts network has grown from two organisations in 2017, to encompass over 50-member organisations primarily using English, French, Arabic, and Amharic. The network aims to strengthen and elevate the practice of fact-checking and resilience-building on the continent.
Africa Check will co-host the summit alongside local partners Dubawa and FactSpace West Africa. “A gathering such as this one is very important in advancing the fight against misinformation and disinformation on the continent for many reasons, but mainly because it fosters a culture of collaboration and partnership. Without these our efforts are less likely to succeed,” remarked Noko Makgato, executive director of Africa Check.
With 24 African countries among the 64 globally preparing for elections this year, it highlights the pressing need for an intensified effort to safeguard the integrity of democratic processes. The summit will bring together fact-checking organisations from across the continent to explore innovative projects and advancements in fact-checking practices that they employ in their daily operations.
Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed, a Board Member of FactSpace West Africa and an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University, stated “In an increasingly digital world with citizens having the ability to create content, information has become an incredibly powerful tool. How information is created, used and shared can make or mar democratic processes. This summit will present a space for key players in the fact-checking space to share ideas and learn from one another. Spaces such as these are needed as they support and maintain vibrant democracies across the continent by providing accurate and timely information in key times such as during elections.”
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The summit will feature panel discussions, workshops and show and tell focusing on the challenges and opportunities in our collaborative efforts to address misinformation in Africa. Themes include enhancing digital literacy, advancing fact-checking efforts, partnering with technology platforms to reduce the dissemination of false information, and promoting media literacy among the public.
“Drawing from our past summits, this event presents an exciting opportunity for us to convene and share insights, focusing on topical issues within the current context of misinformation and disinformation across the continent. Building on the foundation laid by previous gatherings, we aim to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration in tackling critical challenges,” emphasised Hlalani Gumpo, Africa Check’s head of outreach and impact.
The summit will conclude with the highly anticipated African Fact-Checking Awards gala dinner. This is the longest running and largest awards programme honouring fact-checking journalism in Africa.
There are three categories for the awards:
- Fact-Check of the Year by a Working Journalist
- Fact-Check of the Year by a Professional Fact-Checker
- Fact-Check of the Year by a Student Journalist
The winners of the working journalist and professional fact-checker categories will each receive US$3,000. Runners-up will receive $1,500.
The winner of the student journalist category will receive $2,000, and the runner-up $1,000.
