By Politico staff writer
In an effort to intensify the war against fake news, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists – SLAJ in partnership with the Independent Radio Network (IRN) and the BBC Media Action, with funding support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Partners on 5th April launched a platform for the publication of verified contents.
The platform launched at the Swiss Hotel can be accessed through a Mobile App dubbed IVerify an innovative solution that identifies and flag problematic content during Sierra Leone's upcoming public elections.
The launching brought together stakeholders from the international community as well as locals, representatives of Political Parties, journalists, and some members of the judiciary of Sierra Leone.
Delivering the keynote address, Babatunde Ahonsi, United Nations Resident Coordinator, said the fight against misinformation and disinformation is a shared responsibility of all citizens and non-citizens.
He noted that it is imperative for political tolerance and peaceful communication, especially now that the country’s general election is just around the corner; stressing how information travels from social media to radio channels and to the general public quickly during this period.
“Freedom of opinion and expression is the cornerstone of human rights and pillars of a free and democratic society’’, he said, adding that these freedoms support other fundamental rights, such as peaceful assembly to participate in public affairs and freedom of religion.
He emphasized that women and young people played pivotal roles in the present and future democracy, "Engaging women and young people in democratic processes and allowing them to participate, safely and constructively, in politics, either as voters, activists or candidates, are core aspects of any effort to sustain democracy’’, he said.
He acknowledged the funders of the project, such as the UN Peace Building Fund, UNDP, Ireland, European Union, Canada, and Iceland, adding that the event was important, especially during the week of the International Fact-Checking Day which he said is promoted by the International Fact-Checking Network in partnership with Fact-Checking organizations around the world.
In a PowerPoint presentation, the National Coordinator of the Independent Radio Network (IRN), Ransford Wright, explained that the aim of the project is to strengthen media literacy, developing of pre-bunking and debunking strategies, and multi-stakeholder engagement, among others.
SLAJ Vice President, Sahr James Bangah said the rise of fake news and misinformation has made it difficult for citizens to access credible information, adding that free and fair elections are the cornerstone of any democracy.
“In recent times, we have witnessed the negative impact of fake news, dis, and misinformation, and hate speech on electoral processes across the world, these issues have led to widespread confusion, distrust between citizens and their Governments, and even violence, and here in Sierra Leone, we have seen some in which lives of Sierra Leoneans were lost and public properties destroyed,” he explained.
The platform according to its developers will use a combination of machine learning and human intervention to identify and verify content posted on social media platforms, blogs, and from political activities. Once the content is verified, it will be published on the platform, providing citizens and even journalists access to credible information
In his brief statement, Dr. (Rev) Osman Fornah from the Inter-Religious Council said reconciliation, peace, and social cohesion are key in the country’s electioneering processes recounting the negative impact of fake news and misinformation, and commended the efforts by SLAJ to tackle fake news, especially on social media.
The Association recently launched another fact-checking project in partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NID) all geared towards ensuring a society free of fake news.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (12/04/23
