Fake news, as we are seeing, is changing civic behavior by eroding public trust in mainstream media and public institutions. If we allow this to continue, high levels of cynicism and mistrust may lead to citizen mobilization with the aim of destabilizing public institutions.
As we approach 2023, fake news is a major threat to democratic elections, national security and national development in Nigeria. It will call into question legitimacy of elections, elected officials and governments because creators of fake news leverage on the fears and prejudices of citizens to influence electoral behavior.
The National Fact-Checking Course is organized in partnership with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), DAFUDA, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Center for Journalism Innovation & Development. So far, we have trained 1,000+ participants from military and paramilitary organizations and other MDA’S. We have also created a virtual hub for effective management and tackling of fake news and misinformation in Nigeria which we believe will be beneficial to your establishment.