By Juliet Akoth
Nairobi, Kenya: Baraza Media Lab has officially launched its Fumbua Information Integrity Toolkit in Nairobi. This groundbreaking resource aims to empower individuals, businesses, and community organizations by providing them with the necessary tools to identify, understand, and disrupt the flow of misinformation in our communities.
Speaking during the launch, Maurice Otieno, the Executive Director of Baraza Media Lab, underscored the importance of the toolkit in addressing the challenges surrounding information sharing and interpretation. “The Fumbua Toolkit is a testament to the global challenge we face in how information is shared and interpreted,” said Otieno Maurice Otieno. By providing individuals and organizations with comprehensive resources, Fumbua aims to bridge the gap and empower users to make informed decisions in an increasingly complex information landscape.
Fumbua, is a program by Baraza Media Lab that was conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which witnessed the detrimental effects of widespread misinformation on public health. As the 2022 elections approached, curbing misinformation became an even more pressing concern. To address this, Fumbua adopted a multi-faceted approach, with one of its key pillars being advocacy. It also opted for collaboration with various partners and fact-checking organizations such as Pesa Check, Africa Check, Luminate, and the Kofi Annan Foundation.
“When we started Fumbua, one of our goals was to foster collaboration that would go beyond elections, and we have managed to get there to a large extent and keep making good progress,” shared Abdul Malik of the Kofi Annan Foundation, highlighting the collaborative nature of the program. “We want to make Fumbua the norm where people put aside their differences and come together for the common good.”
Building on their extensive experience and insights, Fumbua embarked on the creation of the Information Integrity Toolkit. Understanding the need for inclusivity, the program aims to operationalize the toolkit by translating it into local languages and optimizing it for accessibility, ensuring its reach extends to individuals with disabilities.
Alphonce Shiundu of Africa Check highlighted the need for media and information literacy and digital literacy for all people across all age groups and how the toolkit is going to help address this. “We need people to understand how the internet and social media platforms work, who are the people using these platforms, and how they can spot misinformation, ” stressed Shiundu. According to him, this toolkit will impart knowledge and skills to users on how to identify content that is misleading and those who post it.
Furthermore, Wanjiru Nguhi, the Program Manager at Fumbua, noted the vital role of fact-checkers in countering misinformation. “A lie travels faster than the truth,” said Nguhi, underscoring the significance of reliable information verification. Fumbua had previously launched the “Verify Before You Share” campaign to promote conscientious information consumption and sharing practices among individuals.
Supporting the point made by Wanjiru, Doreen Wainaina, a representative from Pesa Check, reiterated the importance of fact-checking and fact-checkers in countering misinformation. “Information that’s disseminated can be distorted by the time it gets to the end user. This gets amplified on social media, where the fact-checkers come in. They find the misinformation and verify what the truth is,” explained Wainaina. “As fact-checkers, we have to work together. No one person can overcome misinformation. Which is why it was important to create a toolkit for the end user.”
In her concluding remarks, Program manager Wanjiru Nguhi, expressed her enthusiasm about the launch, stating, “Misinformation has become a pervasive issue affecting our society. With the Fumbua Information Integrity Toolkit, we aim to provide individuals and organizations with the necessary resources to navigate this complex landscape and empower them to make informed decisions.”
The following are some of the features offered by the Fumbua information integrity toolkit:
- Comprehensive overview: Users will gain a deep understanding of the different types of misinformation and the tactics used to propagate them. This knowledge will empower them to recognize deceptive strategies and false narratives.
- Source credibility evaluation: The toolkit equips users with techniques to assess the credibility of sources and verify the accuracy of information. This enables them to make informed judgments and rely on trustworthy sources.
- Fact-checking guidance: Users will discover effective strategies and resources for fact-checking information. By ensuring the dissemination of accurate and reliable content, they play a crucial role in combating the spread of misinformation.
- Responding to misinformation: Practical advice on engaging in constructive dialogue, reporting false information to social media platforms, and effectively countering misinformation within communities is provided. Users will be equipped with the necessary tools to respond to and mitigate the negative impact of misinformation.
The Fumbua Information Integrity Toolkit will be available on the official Fumbua website. Users are strongly encouraged to explore its features and provide valuable feedback to enhance its effectiveness in combating misinformation.
