Mass Communication Student Association (MACOSA) Hosts Training on Combating Misinformation

 Khadijat Adeyinka, and Maryam Balogun

The executive members of Mass Communication Students’ Association (MACOSA), Fountain University, Osogbo, on Thursday 21st of December 2023 at the Eti-Osa Lecture Theatre of the varsity organised a fact-checking training programme to enhance awareness and engage critical thinking on the importance of accurate information dissemination in the media landscape.

                                                        Muhammed Taoheed, FIJ

 

The speaker, a Nigerian freelance journalist, Mohammed Taoheed, in his speech defined fact-checking as the process of verification to establish the veracity and accuracy of a claim and subjecting such verification by using reliable tools. Addressing the urgency of countering fake news, Taoheed enlightened the audience on effective measures to halt its spread. He underscored the paramount importance of fact-checking and elucidated its fundamental principles. Taoheed introduced a gamut of reliable websites such as Email veritas.com, scam doc.com, and whoxy.com, among other essential tools in verifying the legitimacy of online platforms.

Furthermore, the training was tailored towards practical strategies to detect falsified visual content. Taoheed introduced methodologies like error level analysis via media data, clone detection, and the utilization of tools such as Amnesty International's metadata viewer and forensically.

He said generally, information disorder is called “fake news”, but its complex nature goes beyond this. He said that it is the advent of digital media that led to the growing rise of fake content as they can easily be shared briskly and widely through multiple means. As a result of the fact that confirmation bias affects how people’s information are gathered, it has a resultant effect of influencing how people interpret the idea of the same information.

He stated further that combating information disorder simply involves asking the right question and verifying the fact surrounding any claim before believing and distributing them. As part of the training, Taoheed provided invaluable insights into verifying the authenticity of images. He recommended utilizing esteemed platforms such as Google Reverse Image, TinEye, Yandex, Invid, and Rex Eye as credible resources to ascertain the veracity of visual content.

The audience, comprising enthusiastic students and faculty members, engaged in the discourse with fervor, demonstrating ardent interest in assimilating the knowledge imparted. He added that the council of Europe has highlighted the need to move beyond the term “FAKE NEWS” and focus on broader issue of information disorder which encompasses the complex of false information.

He also stated that more reliable information environment can be created by promoting critical thinking, encouraging media literacy, verifying the accuracy and truthfulness of claims fostering a culture of responsible information sharing whether they are made by politicians, companies, NGOs, or the new media.

The training not only furnished students with indispensable insights but also instilled a sense of responsibility to champion truth amidst the deluge of digital misinformation as Taoheed encapsulated the essence of responsible information dissemination, leaving students with a resounding message: "The fight against misinformation begins with us. Equipped with these tools and knowledge, let us champion accuracy and truth in our pursuit of credible information.”