CODE FOR AFRICA (CFA) FACT CHECKING FELLOWSHIP 2024 FOR SOMALIA-BASED MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Individuals employed by government institutions, state-funded media, or any paramilitary or security organization are ineligible.
• The media organization or newsroom must be located in Somalia.
• Applicants must hold positions as journalists, researchers, editors, or managers within a newsroom or media-focused watchdog civil society organization, social enterprise, or research/policy institute with a documented publishing history.
• The organization must maintain an active online presence, including a regularly updated website and/or social media profiles, or express a substantial commitment to establishing an online presence at the start of the program.
• Media organizations or newsrooms must be members of the AFCA network. If not already a member, they must complete the membership form before applying.
• Participants selected by the newsroom must pledge to utilize their new skills and tools to produce regular fact-checks, publishing or broadcasting the debunks on the newsroom’s platform or an appropriate public platform.
• Participants must be proficient in either English or Somali/Arabic, the languages of instruction and mentorship. Fact-checks must be published in English, with Somali being optional.
• Participants must have access to a personal laptop/computer with internet connectivity to engage in online classes and access digital mentorship and resources.
• The organization must have competent and available editorial or managerial staff committed to participating in the program as agreed upon.
• The organization must commit to transparent and timely communication from management and designated team members.
• Trainees must commit to scheduled weekly online training sessions and task-based assignments.
• The organization must pledge to publish or broadcast content generated through the program on a predetermined schedule and drive engagement on an appropriate public platform.
• Participants must agree to share their new skills and knowledge within their organization and broader journalistic/research community by showcasing their projects and techniques to peers.

Benefits:

Successful organizations will receive financial assistance grants to establish fact-checking desks or products. Additionally, they will benefit from hands-on technical training and guidance to develop economically sustainable models and implement editorial production systems for their CheckDesks.

The Incubation Program:

The incubation program aims to cultivate a diverse ecosystem of local fact-checking advocates to combat misinformation and disinformation. It includes:

• Financial Assistance: Selected organizations will receive a modest grant to cover eligible expenses and activities.
• Technical Support: CfA will provide practical technical training, followed by individual project mentoring, supported by CfA’s technical staff, data analysts, multimedia producers, and editors.
• Publishing Assistance: Newsrooms will publish their fact-checking products on their respective media platforms and receive support for international publication.
• Organizational Development: The chosen organization(s) will receive online consultations with CfA to refine their understanding of their audience, improve their fact-checking services, and explore potential revenue models.
• Enhanced Outreach: CfA will provide support for amplification and growth, including scaling and syndication assistance.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Code for Africa (CfA) Fact Checking Fellowship