Keystone-SDA again conducts fact-checking training for Swiss media
Every day, journalists must quickly decide whether and how to report on certain topics. Through fact-checking training sessions, Keystone-SDA, DPA, and Google’s News Initiative aim to hone these skills.
Numerous media professionals have taken part in the fact-checking workshops launched in 2022, deepening their knowledge and exchanging views on topical issues, according to a statement on Wednesday.
The need remains great: Political propaganda and disinformation are unsettling many citizens, and fakes are becoming more sophisticated. More than ever, it is the task of the media to provide orientation - nationally, regionally and locally.
In close cooperation with the German Press Agency DPA and the Google News Initiative, Keystone-SDA is again offering fact-checking trainings. The trainings will take place in spring, with exact dates to follow soon. The trainings are again free of charge for editorial offices of Swiss media.
Catherine Gilbert, Verification Officer at Keystone-SDA, and Jan Ludwig, fact checkers and social media trainers at DPA, teach indispensable basics of digital research such as photo reverse search or video verification in basic training courses. In shorter in-depth units that can be easily integrated into everyday journalistic work, they explain research on Instagram and Tiktok. This time, the training team focuses on recognizing artificially generated media content such as deepfake videos, voices and texts.
"Credible information is of vital interest to our democratic society. That's why we are delighted to continue the digital verification training program for media professionals this year," says Jann Jenatsch, COO of Keystone-SDA. "Technological dynamics such as the use of artificial intelligence are making it increasingly difficult to unmask fakes. The planned in-depth training courses address such developments and aim to impart know-how and competence. The demand for this is very high."
