Fulbright Fellow, Professor Michael M. Epstein, Tuesday, July 12 paid a courtesy on the President of Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla- Monk, and the President of the Guild of Editors Donald Theo Harding. During both meetings, Professor Epstein expressed his support to help the media in the fight against fake news in Sierra Leone through the Initiatives for Media Development (IMdev) flagship Salone Fact Checker initiative.
Speaking with the President of SLAJ, Professor Epstein explained that it is quite challenging for journalists in Sierra Leone and the world at large, noting that because of the multiple platforms for mass information dissemination, trust has become a challenge.
He said the Salone Fact Checker initiative, intended to develop an app to authenticate stories and sniff out fake news could help rebuild trust for journalists and also serve as a vital resource portal for journalists.
“This would help journalists to be trusted by the people because the stories would be independently verified.”
Professor Micheal also stated as Sierra Leone is moving towards presidential elections next year building the capacity for Sierra Leone fact-checking is vital to address the plethora of fake news that might emerge during the process.
He further stated that these barriers would be addressed by creating a non-literate cartoon of a chicken, which would be laying different types of eggs to illustrate whether the news is fake or authentic.
The Professor also said that the app would also have a provision for citizens to contact fact-checkers about particular stories.
He also spoke about plans to improve media information literacy and greater transparency on sources and methods used in writing a report.
The President of SLAJ said it is a welcome initiative. “SLAJ welcomes every opportunity that would enhance the capacity of its membership.”
He stressed that the app would be useful during elections as the public is demanding more from journalists.
The Monk also spoke about the challenges and how effective collaboration would help in curbing these challenges.
The president of the Guild of Editors explained that at the dawn of social media there was fear that traditional media would fade away, however, the public is still coming to us to verify. He added that such an initiative would give more credibility to the media, especially the print.
IMdev CEO Yeama Thompson explained that during the cause of the Professor’s stay in Sierra Leone, he would develop a curriculum, train journalists, have a town hall meeting with station managers, meet with government officials and civil society and visit Bo and Makeni.
Professor Michael is a professor of Law at the Southwestern Law School and a Supervising Editor of the Journal of International Media & Entertainment Law.
He has published widely on global fake news initiatives, including the 2017 Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Fake News.
Michael will work with the Initiatives for Media Development and Media Matters for Women (MMW) to develop a training curriculum on Media Information Literacy. This program will facilitate critical thinking and Media Information literacy (MIL) skills for the Sierra Leonean public which will enable them to recognize fact-based reporting when presented with contradictory information. This will extend the reach of Salone Fact-checker, a medium established in 2020 with funding from the US Embassy in Sierra Leone to the rural and offline populations where the flow of fake news is not simply confined to online spaces but moves between offline and online environments with regularity and ease.
The Visiting Fulbright Fellow will be in Sierra Leone from 2nd July through 1 August 2022 to support the much-needed societal resilience on Fact-Checking in the Fight Against Fake News and Disinformation in Sierra Leone.
