Foundation unveils fact checking tools for investigative Journalists

The Norwegian Foundation for Investigative Reporting, SKUP has once again revealed new techniques that can aid investigative Journalists in their pursuit of unveiling secretes that can put the society on a brighter path.

The fact checking Masterclass held in Tonsberg Norway from Wednesday 30th March to 3rd April had 18 journalists from Africa, Asia, Europe and Middle East in attendance.

The course which unveiled different tools on the internet that can help investigative Journalists in not only fact checking misinformation, disinformation and mal-information but to reveal hidden truths that have created a vacuum in governance and social strata.

With the unveiling, it has come to being that a Journalist can be on his or her desk and travel round the world, fact checking and putting into perspectives disinformation and misinformation.

Voice of Nigeria’s Ifeoma Orji was one of the beneficiaries who represented West Africa at the training.

One of the participants from India, Heard Tejas Kaluram says “It was exciting trip to come to Norway which is my first experience for such a conference seeing many international journalists under one roof. We had many sessions for the masterclass and one of the thing I will take from here is that we use internet everyday without realizing that there are online tools that can help us in investigative journalism” he said.

The SKUP Masterclass 2022 was bankrolled by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The project Coordinator of the ministry, Mariken Bruusgaard says “we have been supporting SKUP for years now particularly the masterclass which is gathering investigative journalists around the world to build capacities in investigative reporting, we are really happy to be a part of it”.

The highlight of the SKUP 2022 conference was the gathering of over 700 Norwegian journalists in Tonsberg from every nook and cranny of the country, physically, for the first time since 2019, with award ceremony and dinner bringing the epoch making event to a close, opening a new phase for investigative journalists to beam their searchlights on issues that must be divulged.

Confidence Okwuchi