The President of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) Fouad Arif, emphasized the urgent need for collective action to combat the proliferation of fake news across the continent and its detrimental effects.
Speaking during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at a training seminar in Rabat, Morocco, themed “Fact-checking Detection of fake news in media content,” Arif stressed the importance of safeguarding both the public and the credibility of mainstream media.
Arif, who also serves as the Director General of the Moroccan News Agency, expressed his commitment to collaborating with NAN to tackle the spread of fake news in Africa.
He highlighted the necessity of empowering people to discern between accurate information and falsehoods, underscoring the role of initiatives like the training seminar in addressing the threat of fake news.
The FAAPA president emphasized the significance of forging partnerships among news agencies across the continent to combat the pervasive influence of fake news, which he noted has adverse effects on society and mainstream media credibility.
‘‘We have to fight this every day, and we have to help people distinguish between what is false and what is right in terms of information.”
In a statement directed to NAN, Arif expressed his optimism about strengthening cooperation between FAAPA and the Nigerian news agency, aiming to enhance fact-checking efforts and counter the dissemination of false information.
He anticipated hosting the Managing Director of NAN in Morocco to renew their partnership in alignment with the strong bilateral relations between Morocco and Nigeria.
‘’I am pleased to give this statement to the NAN with whom we’re looking pretty much forward to enhance our cooperation.”
‘‘I’m looking forward to hosting the Managing Director of NAN here in Morocco and to signing an updated version of our partnership along the lines of the excellent relationships between the Kingdom of Morocco and Nigeria.”
The training seminar, attended by 23 journalists and facilitated by four experts from various African news agencies, focuses on equipping participants with the skills needed to verify information accurately.
‘‘We have to fact-check whatever information is circulating out there because if we need to fight false information, we need to fight fake information.”
Arif reiterated the importance of fact-checking in combating false narratives, citing the potentially malicious intentions behind the dissemination of fake news.
Arif’s remarks underscore the critical need for collaborative efforts among African nations and news agencies to confront the scourge of fake news, protect public trust in the media, and uphold the integrity of information dissemination.
