The Tell The Story project will run for the next six months, and journalists will be able to share their insights and experiences along the way.

Journalism in Africa has its fair share of challenges and successes, and these will be highlighted in the project through various topics. Recently, the project convened in Entebbe, Uganda for an Idea Lab where the journalists could start gathering their findings and insights.

Here’s what a few journalists had to say about the nature of fact checking in journalism today.

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Faraja John Sendegeya, Azam TV, Dar Es Salaam/Tanzania:
“Social media can often set the political agenda, because they have become so powerful by now. Therefore it is even more important to check all relevant content coming from social media.”

Beatrice Rabach, Radio Free Africa, Mwanza/Tanzania:
“When talking about fact-checking the NGO Africa Check pointed out their most important 'commandment'. It goes: 'You shall never give up.' That is what I want to follow.”

Élisée Mpirwa, The New Times Publication, Kigali/Rwanda:
“Journalists have to keep searching and looking for the story behind the story. All necessary tools for that are available, we simply should stop being lazy.”

Jael Atieno Lieta, Nam Lolwe FM, Kisumu/Kenya:
“What happens if journalists do not fact check? Then media might fuel a conflict. We need to verify and fact check the content as good as we can to give out the correct information.”

Justus Wanzala, KBC, Nairobi/Kenya:
“As the public debate is often pretty much dominated by politicians and any kind of state officials journalists should rather talk more with experts from think tanks, NGOs or universities. But they should look for real experts and avoid talking heads.”