{"id":4436,"date":"2020-03-16T06:45:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T05:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=4436"},"modified":"2020-04-06T23:47:36","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T22:47:36","slug":"a-bi-monthly-newsletter-on-information-disorder-and-fact-checking-march-16-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/a-bi-monthly-newsletter-on-information-disorder-and-fact-checking-march-16-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bi-Monthly Newsletter on Information Disorder and Fact-checking: March 16, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

People always envisioned 2020 as the capstone year and my goodness what a year it has been. Let’s all try to remember that we are still in the first quarter; with what seems to be a year travelling at lightspeed. Nonetheless, in this edition, we shall attempt to slow things down for you; as we delve through Covid-19 and what the government and media are doing to decrease or inadvertently worsen the situation. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding middle-ground<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not too high, not too low, safely in the middle. This logic seems to be the mainstay strategy<\/a> the media and governments are adopting. The goal is to find that sweet spot of not causing panic, yet keeping citizens informed and alert. But, how do you do this and for how long; lest the scales tip over on either side.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The World Health Organisation’s method has been prompt trenchant circulars and advisories. The health institute also took to social media since the pandemic’s genesis, creating hashtags and partnering with influencers. This approach has tried to reduce panic, all the while disseminating useful information; well if you discount all the misinformation that abounds as a result. Still, it has been the right approach; which begs the question, how do you port this rationale into fact-checking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s the “safe-zone” in fact-checking<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The middle-ground rationale is not novel in journalism, a venture rooted in honesty, transparency and all these good virtues; but, are there instances when the truth needs to stay hidden? What happens when you have a ground-breaking story that could destabilise a country’s peace and democracy? Do you (a) publish it and risk losing all you hold precious? Or, (b) negotiate a compromise, all the while still striving for advocacy and accountability? Option B seems like the right choice, at least we hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is for this reason that fact-checking platforms (including Dubawa) are starting to consider all these parameters. As much as our collective goal is the truth, as we know, the matter is subjective. Please do not misunderstand us; we are not saying, start lying or stop fact-checking. To the contrary, subject all claims under rigorous verification. However, after collating your findings, consider the impact and outcome and structure your article accordingly. This rationale holds especially in times like these; lest your battle against misinformation becomes an avenue for panic and confusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Emphasise or Trivialise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Continuing with our theme on middle-grounds, we’ll bring it home. How are the government finding this balance? Better still, what are they doing regarding the pandemic? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Friday last week, the National Centre for Disease Control confirmed <\/a>no index cases in Nigeria; the initial result for the second case turned out to be a false positive. Consequently, many have commended<\/a> the Nigerian Health sector for their efforts in combating the spread of the novel coronavirus; with some<\/a> citing the Ebola epidemic of 2014 as a training ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, a few question the media’s emphasis on SARS-Cov2 when Lassa fever is shaping up to be the biggest epidemic with over 100+ deaths<\/a>. A month ago, an expert cautioned against drinking garri as it was a risk factor for the virus. Dubawa surmised<\/a> while it was well-intentioned, one should consider a wholistic hygiene approach when dealing with Lassa fever, not just avoiding “drinking-garri”.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same vein, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari complained about the publicity the pandemic was getting when 822 people die daily from malaria. While this figure was wrong<\/a>, it highlights a more significant issue- the perception of over-emphasising the coronavirus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malaria & Lassa Fever still in the conversation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Therein lies the question is SARS-Cov2 getting too much publicity? Certainly not! It is, after all, a pandemic. Besides, any less notoriety and the government may risk trivialising a serious issue which has claimed over 3000+ lives. And while there are no casualties in Nigeria currently, it is still a threat. Treating it any less has the propensity to wreak more havoc, spawning falsehoods<\/a> that may exponentially worsen the case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, it should not be a coronavirus vs Lassa fever vs malaria. Each problem is equally important and demands the government’s attention. Notwithstanding, the government ought to consider the unrest concerning other epidemics like Lassa fever, especially concerning funding.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#FAKENEWS ALERT<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s precious little that we can do about the barrage of misinformation that we see daily, but there\u2019s a lot we can do together if we learn to identify suspicious claims in the news and refrain from fuelling the fire by spreading them! Here are our top picks of likely-to-be-false news which [sadly] couldn\u2019t be fact-checked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n