Embrace fact-checking in your reports – Experts urge journalists

Two specialists in digital communication have advised journalists to use fact-checking facilities while producing reports.
This, they said, was to ensure the credibility of their work and to distinguish themselves from disinformation distributors.

The specialists stated this at a workshop on “Combating Disinformation in a Digital Age: Fact-Checking for Responsible Journalism,” organized by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association for journalists and held in Lagos on Friday.

Lekan Otufodunrin, one of the specialists, stated that the workshop took place amid a backdrop of misinformation and disinformation.

Otufodunrin, who is the Executive Director, Media Career Development Network observed that the news space is filled with a lot of misleading information that may mislead, deceive, and lead people astray.

“So, this is to empower journalists to appreciate the need for fact-checking and apply it to their day-to-day work.

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“Even when they cannot do it all the time, do it once in a while, so that the quality of our reports can be enhanced and evidence-based, which is very important.”