Experts Urge Media to be Critical of Fact-checking During Elections

Addis Ababa May 1/2019 Mainstream media should be more critical of fact-checking during election period as disinformation has been threatening the bases of African democracy, media experts said.

A joint media forum under the theme “Fact Checking and Elections: Ensuring Fair, Balanced and Credible Elections in Africa” was held today before the 2019 actual World Press Freedom Day at UNECA in Addis Ababa.

The forum stressed on significance of critical journalism to be factually correct in an era where  disinformation seem to create alternative realities and threaten the basis of democracy in Africa. 

In the early session of the panel discussion the experts have presented the challenges and opportunities for the media during election reports particularly in Africa.

Speaking on the forum, Country Editor of Africa Check, Alphonce Shiundu said the work of journalism during elections have to be factually correct.

According to the editor, the mainstream media themselves need to be fact checkers rather than relying on electoral bodies and political parties that African media are always practicing this norm.

Because of the inefficient fact-checking and those problems that the continent of Africa have failed to give credible information, another media platforms such as social media have been influencing the election results, he indicated.

Media Consultant of African Council for Communication Education, Tom Mshindi, said on his part that encouraging African media houses in order to carry out fact-checking during election period has become imperative.

He added that “nowadays many people find it hard to differentiate what is authentic and what constitute propaganda as many African media houses have been operating in the oppressive system.”

Fake and distorted news have been threatening the integrity of the election process in most of repressive government systems in Africa and across the world, said Sherif Alaa, Program Manager of North Africa and West Asia.

The joint media forum is expected to continue deliberating on challenges and opportunities for the media in the age of disinformation.