Application Deadline: 25 February, 2025
Applications are now open for the 2025 Code for Africa (CfA) CheckDesks Fact-Checking Incubation Programme. Code for Africa (CfA), through its flagship network, the African Fact-Checking Alliance (AFCA), is offering a seven-month incubation programme to established media organisations or watchdog civil society organisations (CSOs) based in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal to help them set up or expand CheckDesks.
A CheckDesk is a dedicated fact-checking/verification unit within a news organisation or CSO that uses the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN)-compliant techniques to research and debunk misleading or harmful information.
The incubation programme
The programme aims to build a diversified ecosystem of local fact-checking champions to help increase resilience to mis/disinformation within the information ecosystem of Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.
Successful organisations will receive technical support from CfA, through its in-house fact-checking newsroom at PesaCheck, and disinformation investigation team at the iLAB.
Eligibility Requirements
- The organisation must not work for any paramilitary or security organisation.
- The organisation must be based in one of the following countries: Côte d’ivoire and Senegal.
- The organisation must have an existing online presence, including an actively maintained website and/or social media profiles, or a commitment to establishing a digital footprint at the beginning of the programme.
- The organisation must have internet access to enable participating journalists/trainees/researchers to access project resources and undertake their fact-checking assignments.
- The media organisation or newsroom must be a member of the AFCA network. If not a member at the time of application, fill out this form to become an AFCA member, before applying.
- The organisation must have managerial and editorial staff committed to participating in the programme during the agreed-upon period.
- The organisation must commit to timely and open communication from the management and seconded team members.
- The seconded trainees must commit to agreed-upon weekly online training and task-based class assignments.
- The organisation must commit to broadcasting or publishing content produced through the programme in the specified cadence and driving engagement on an appropriate public platform.
- The seconded trainees must be fluent in the language of tuition and mentorship: French.
Benefits
- The AFCA incubation programme will also include a seed grant, access to digital resources/tools, advice on cost-efficient editorial production workflows, peer mentoring, and strategic advice on market and audience strategies. The incubation programme will run for seven months.
The programme will consist of:
- Financial support: The chosen organisations will receive a grant to cover eligible activities and costs.
- Publishing support: The newsrooms will publish the fact-checking products generated under the project on their respective media platforms. The newsrooms will also be supported to publish internationally.
- Organisation building: The selected organisations will receive online consultations with CfA to better understand their audience, refining fact-checks and developing potential revenue models.
- Growing reach: CfA will offer amplification/growth support, including scaling/syndication support
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