Zimbabwe sees first fact-checking platform
What is the salary of junior doctors in Zimbabwe, and did the country really lose $15 billion in diamond revenue? Zimbabwe’s new fact-checking platform, ZimFact, brings truth to the issues discussed in the public debate.
ZimFact, the first national fact-checking platform in Zimbabwe was launched on Friday, 16 March 2018 at the National Gallery in Harare. ZimFact is dedicated to playing a watchdog role by fact-checking news and information in the public sector so that the general public can receive verified news and real facts.
“The major aim of fact-checking platforms is to reduce the circulation of false claims, to improve public understanding and to help discourage public officials, authorities, private and public bodies from disseminating misleading information,” said Alec Muchadehama, chairperson of the ZimFact Management Committee, at the ZimFact-launch where he also urged the media to contribute to the cultivation of the fact-checking tradition to serve the larger public.
The new platform is managed by the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe in partnership with FOJO Media Institute and International Media Support (IMS) with support from the Swedish Embassy, European Union and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The launch was attended by over 120 people, mostly journalists, representatives from media civic society organisations and media trainers.
ZimFact’s role in the media environment in Zimbabwe was also addressed by Mr. Muchadehama:
“ZimFact is not competing with mainstream or social media in reporting or being first with the news. It is a partner of the media,” he said and added that: “Fact-checking platforms also publish basic facts on important sectors and issues. In a global sense, fact-checking platforms are also seeking to help raise audiences’ trust in the media.”
Guest Speaker, Japhet Ncube, Editor of The Star Newspaper of South Africa, emphasised the importance of verifying information before publishing, especially in the age of ‘fake news’.
“In the era of fake news, it is important for us as the media to fact-check and use those traditional ways of verifying information from our sources. This platform is going to help us as South Africans newspapers to get the Zimbabwe story right. This platform is going to make our work easier,” he said.
The launch also included a panel discussion with Dumisani Muleya, chairperson of Zimbabwe National Editors’ Forum, and Patience Zirima, Chairperson of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe.
To follow ZimFact’s work go to the facebook-page, follow on Twitter or visit zimfact.org.
