The Africa Fact Checking Fellowship – #AFFCameroon 8th Cohort (Call for Applications)

Journalists, content creators, etc are called to accept the call for invitations for The Africa Fact Checking Fellowship – #AFFCameroon 8th Cohort. In the past time in 2017, the Anglophone conflict and the 2018 post-election crisis crystallize the public debate and increase the consumption and spread of ‘fake news’ online and in traditional media. Despite the efforts of various actors, the situation is taking alarming proportions in the context of tribalist attacks and their offshoots. The Africa Fact Checking Fellowship – #AFFCameroon 8th Cohort (Call for Applications)

Yet fact-checking is not new in the newsroom.  In recent years, there has been an increase in the verification of online information and public claims due to the proliferation of fake news on social media. This desire to combat the proliferation of ‘fake’ news online is underreported in online and offline media.

It is in this context that #defyhatenow Cameroon has for the past three years, run the “Africa Fact-checking Fellowship” #AFFCameroon programme, which aims to equip professionals with fact-checking skills to recognize misinformation, disinformation, and misinformation online.   To date, seven cohorts of approximately 115 professionals from the Centre, Littoral, South-West, North-West, Adamawa, North, Far-North, and West have directly benefited from the fellowship.

Following this, #defyhatenow Cameroon is initiating a call for applications for its eighth cohort of professionals from April to June 2023. The objective is to establish a critical mass of fact-checkers, right information advocates, online and offline hate speech, and digital rights defenders.

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The Africa Fact-checking Fellowship – #AFFCameroon is designed to track and map viral trends on social media related to current challenges of ‘fake news’ in Cameroon. Through its different cohorts, #AFFCameroon aims to enhance the skills of experienced professionals to effectively contribute to peace-building and social cohesion by combating disinformation and hate speech. It intends to promote fact-checking, data journalism, and digital rights for journalists, bloggers, and content creators in Africa. The program is based on a blended learning model using webinars, practical lessons, peer-to-peer learning, and on-the-ground practical work. Fellows will have access to a rich set of online tools and resources as well as a network of experts and professionals from around the world.

Requirements for The Africa Fact Checking Fellowship – #AFFCameroon 8th Cohort:

• Journalists
• Content creators
• Digital rights activists
• Bloggers
• Opinion and community leaders

Age

• Between 20 and 40 years old

Place of Residence

• Cameroon

Conditions

• Be fully available, understand English and French, be computer literate, and be active on social media.

Application Deadline:   April 20th, 2023

The Africa Fact Checking Fellowship – #AFFCameroon 8th Cohort (Call for Applications)