TheCable

The Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) has announced the launch of “DUBAWA”,  a fact-checking platform.

“DUBAWA” is a Hausa term for checking.

According to a statement signed by Joshua Olufemi, programmes director of PTCIJ, the platform is scheduled to be launched at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Conference Center in Abuja on February 20, 2018.

Guest speakers at the event include Yemi Kale, statistician-general of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and Seun Onigbinde, co-founder and lead partner of BudgIT.

Olufemi said the project seeks to “unmask misinformation and propaganda in the public domain and ultimately empower Nigerians with the knowledge necessary for making rational decisions”.

“Over time, the constant influx of information laden with lies and half-truths has posed a damaging implication for the journalistic process, democracy and the Nigerian citizenry,” Olufemi said.

“The systematic propagation of information or ideas by an interested party with the intent to influence public decisions is awash all over social media and traditional media platforms.

“As an urgent response, DUBAWA is a non-partisan verification and rating platform which seeks to make use of a multi-pronged approach towards distilling the upsurge of fake news by politicians, the media, public and advocacy figures, groups and institutions.

“Consequently, DUBAWA is more than just a platform for verification; it is a custodian of tools and resources that can be used by media professionals to investigate and produce fact-based reports. It is a community for the general public as the active actors in the making of a functioning and accountable democracy. And it is a platform that promotes the ideals of fact-checking and integrity across newsrooms in the country.”

DUBAWA is one of the projects of the PTCIJ, with collaborations from various media agencies, including TheCable, and organisations such as Africa Check (South Africa), Poynter Institute (United States), and Full Facts (United States).

Interested persons can log on to www.dubawa.org for more information.