DUBAWA trains journalists, bloggers, influencers in Liberia on fact-checking

DUBAWA, the fact-checking arm of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), has trained over 15 journalists, bloggers, and influencers in Liberia.

The three-day training is part of efforts to combat information disorder and create a society free of this menace across several African countries, including Liberia. 

It is the fifth time DUBAWA has organised such a training in Liberia. This time, the team decided to include bloggers and influencers, who form a significant part of the media ecosystem, especially with the advent of social media.  

Rationale for training

The country has seen an influx of independent outlets, including over 100 radio stations, which serve as the primary news source for most Liberians, alongside newspapers, TV stations, and digital platforms. 

As the media landscape proliferates, issues of disinformation, which experts at the World Economic Forum have described as a global risk, have become rampant in Liberia.

Financial constraints for media owners, politicisation, and occasional government pressure worsen the situation.

It is against this background that DUBAWA decided to embark on a capacity-building workshop for media practitioners, including influencers.

“In Liberia’s dynamic and rapidly evolving information landscape, it is imperative to equip bloggers, influencers, and journalists with the skills to combat disinformation and misinformation, which has never been more critical. As gatekeepers and amplifiers of public discourse, these communicators have a great responsibility to uphold information integrity. 

“Targeted training is essential to fortify their capacity for rigorous fact-checking, ethical reporting, and source verification, thereby empowering them to shield the public from manipulative falsehoods. Such proactive measures are fundamental to strengthening democratic processes and fostering a well-informed Liberian citizen capable of making decisions based on truth and reality,’’ said Roselena Ahiable, Project Manager, DUBAWA West Africa.

The training, which focused on fact-checking methodology, the use of digital AI tools, digital security, and ethical standards, brought together several journalists, bloggers, and influencers from various media institutions and platforms across the country.  

The training also sought to address the growing threat to Liberia’s information ecosystem and unregulated online media, bloggers, and social media influencers who often prioritise sensationalism over accuracy. 

The training was held at a local hotel in Monrovia from November 11 to 13, 2025, and was fully funded by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).  

In separate remarks, participants in the training expressed their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to DUBAWA for undertaking such an impactful initiative, and they expressed a desire for similar training to be conducted regularly.     

Kerkula A. Blama, a blogger and beneficiary of the training, said the training has changed his perception of blogging going forward and promised to apply what he learned.

“I’m going to do blogging differently from now on. This training has given me a whole new way of blogging. In the past, I thought I was doing the right thing, but after this training, I noticed that I was doing it wrong,” Blama said. 

Nimrod Saydeh Kumeh, an influencer,  also said, “This training was very helpful, and I’m going to use the knowledge gained from here in my daily work as an influencer.”