The Director General of the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP), Fouad Arif, on Monday urged agencies from around twenty countries to be vigilant and apply techniques to fight against Fake news. 'The current media landscape is characterized by the impact of social networks which contribute to the proliferation of fake news,' indicated the director general of the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP), also president of the Atlantic Federation of news agencies. African Press (FAAPA), Fouad Arif. He then called on journalists from African news agencies that are members of FAAPA to be vigilant in the process of collecting, processing and disseminating information through the application of 'Fact checking' techniques in order to combat this phenomenon. . Fouad Arif spoke on Monday in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, at the opening of a training seminar on 'Fact-checking' from April 22 to 26, 2024 where 25 journalists from press agencies are taking part. The seminar is under the theme 'Fact-Checking: Detection of fake news in media co ntent'. Its objective is to strengthen the capacities of journalists in terms of 'Fact-Checking' by allowing them to acquire the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to master information verification techniques and combat Fake News and other rumors. . Mr. Arif clarified the importance that FAAPA places on capacity building and exchanges of experiences between journalists from African press agencies. 'African press agencies are today called upon as part of a new dynamic to adapt to the profound changes taking place in the world of media, particularly by supporting the rapid evolution of information systems,' said -he continued. He hoped that the training would result in the creation of an active network of Fact-checkers in order to implement information verification techniques within their respective editorial offices. 'The objective of this initiative is the development of a guide on 'Fact-checking' with a view to making it available to journalists from African press agencies,' he conclu ded. Four experts, including the editor-in-chief of the AIB, Tilado Apollinaire Abga, will provide the training which brings together Portuguese-speaking, English-speaking, French-speaking and Arabic-speaking journalists. The FAAPA was created in October 2014 and aims to promote cooperation and the exchange of experiences between press agencies in all areas of common interest including information, training and multimedia products. Source: Burkina Information Agency
Menu