Détails sur la Contribution

Id	36
Contributeur	Thibaut Ribar \| Radio Notre Dame
Contributions	Princia Florence Yalla Bangui, September 20, 2023 and Journalist at Radio La Voix des Citoyens (RAVOCI) and Fact-Checker Journalist Contact: Tel/WhatsApp: +236 72476132 Email: princiaflorenceyalla@gmail.com THEME I: Share your experience as a community journalist in the fight against fake news. Generally, I can share that as a community journalist working in the fight against misinformation : from 2013 to 2019, the Central African Republic faced a surge in the spread of false information. This challenge was intensified by the advent of COVID-19. In response, the NGO Internews Central African Republic launched training programs for radio journalists from the provinces and Bangui to combat misinformation. In 2021, I was approached by Internews Central African Republic to participate in this training for community journalists on combating disinformation and rumors. As one of eight journalists at Radio Siriri in Bouar (a town located in the western part of the Central African Republic), I was selected to represent this station at this “give and take” meeting. The trainers selected six participants from among 14 to undergo a six-month advanced internship with Internews. My skills were recognized to such an extent that my application was among the six chosen for the internship. During this stage, we wrote fact-checking articles on various topics including health, politics, economics, society, and oral rumors. In our community in the CAR, false information and rumors spread faster than verified facts. Without proper verification, the population often believes these false reports, which can sometimes lead to tensions and fracture social cohesion between Christians and Muslims. It is also noteworthy that some false information is disseminated by local media outlets driven by the race for scoops; these outlets often neglect source verification. In this context, Internews organized training for 14 community journalists from Bangui and the provinces. At the end of the training, we joined the Central African Fact-Checkers Association, now called Central African Check — an organization I am still working with. Our articles are shared on social media, and audio versions are broadcast on partner community radios such as Radio Siriri in Bouar, Radio La Voix de la Ouaka in Bambari, Radio Communautaire Sewa in Bangui, Radio La Voix des Citoyens (RAVOCI), Radio La Voix des Aigles, and also on Radio Centrafrique during programs of the Radio Synergy for COVID-19 awareness, an initiative by Internews. I have authored several fact-checking articles. Here is an example: Bangui, February 12, 2022 #CentralAfricanRepublic (AFC): False, the use of the blue mask to protect against COVID-19 is not dangerous to health. A video circulating shows that the blue face mask contains a toxic substance that causes diseases in certain organs of users. However, this information is neither recognized nor supported by health specialists. Recently, a video has been circulating and gaining traction on social media, filmed by a Beninese doctor, Anayon Brissot, warning users against wearing blue masks, claiming they harm health. The video states: "I am issuing an alert! The alert concerns the blue face mask. I have received many patients recently experiencing chest pains, respiratory irritation, and other symptoms following excessive use of blue masks. These masks contain formaldehyde and toluene, and the next health crisis after COVID-19 could be throat cancer, brain tumors, etc., for those who continue to wear these masks. If you already experience irritation, headaches, dizziness after using these masks, I recommend using pure honey, which contains zinc and selenium. I advise using cotton or cloth masks instead." The AFC Fact-Checking organization verified this information and found it to be false. This claim is completely rejected by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health. To verify the facts, AFC interviewed Dr. Diber Augustin, a health promotion advisor at WHO, who stated: "I affirm that nowhere in WHO literature has it been said that wearing blue masks causes additional health problems. On the contrary, masks are recommended to protect against respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. I also receive daily updates from WHO about masks, and I have not seen any questions or reports linking mask-wearing to health issues." Dr. Ouarandji Louis Médard from the Ministry of Public Health also commented: "This is the first time I hear such an assertion. Since we started using masks, especially the blue ones, we have not received any patients complaining about health problems caused by masks. This information is false. Everyone should be very cautious about what they read and see on social media, especially rumors surrounding COVID-19 spread by supposed experts." He concluded: "I advise everyone to rely on science because we cannot combat a disease based on rumors." Princia Florence Yalla / AFC Fact-Checking Editorial Do you have suspicious information or images? Contact our team at +236 74 02 15 70 / 75 81 61 38 / 75 38 11 73, or email us at factcheckingefc@gmail.com. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we verified numerous false claims and rumors from hearsay sources by consulting reliable sources such as the WHO, the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 task force, and conducting thorough research on certified health websites. With over two years of experience in fact-checking, I am eager to share my knowledge and further develop my skills in this passionate field.
Date	2023-09-20