Journalists Trained on Information Integrity, the Fight Against Misinformation and Disinformation in West Africa
By Marilyn King
The Economic Committee of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Commission in collaboration with the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and GIZ on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th September 2025 at the Atlantic Lumley Hotel trained Journalists on information integrity, the fight against misinformation and disinformation in West Africa.
The training seeks to build participants capacity on identifying and counter disinformation, strengthen fact checking skills and apply OSINT and AI tools for narratives analysis, it will also enhance investigative reporting on human rights violations, promote conflict sensitive and peace Journalism and advance media information literacy(MIL) to empower audiences, finally the training will foster collaboration between ECOWAS and Media actors to share best practices in promoting peace democracy and good governance.
The Head of Development Cooperation of the German Embassy in Freetown, Johannes Behrens in his goodwill welcome message said the negative impact of misinformation, disinformation alternative facts and deep fakes can be felt worldwide and intermingles with socio political and security challenges all around the globe.
He furthered that in Western Africa the need for a responsible ethical, and well-informed media and subsequently citizenry has thus even risen.
He noted that the training of two days shall provide insights towards stopping harmful narratives through fact-checking and Media Information Literacy, which are vital tools for promoting informed public discourse and safeguarding democracy in the region, and provide an enabling environment for the implementation of ECOWAS vision 2050.
“It shall support in providing answers to the questions of how we work together to counter disinformation and stop false information from speaking fast and how do we promote professional Journalism” He applauded.
The ECOWAS Resident Representative in Sierra Leone, H.E Amb. John Azuma said on behalf of the president of ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency Dr. Omar Allieu Touray and the entire ECOWAS family, extend warm greetings and reaffirmed their collective commitment to fostering peace, stability and democratic governance in their region.
He also expressed their sincere appreciation to President Bio and the government and people of Sierra Leone fur the warm reception they have received since their arrival at Lungi and Freetown and excellent facilities made available for the training.
He mentioned that the media is powerful institution, shaping perceptions, amplifying voices and safeguarding democratic space, “yet today, the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation poses serious threats to our societies” He said.
He maintained that these challenges erode public trust, exacerbate conflicts and undermine the democratic gains they have worked so hard to achieve.
He stated that in an era of rapidly evolving technologies and information ecosystems, journalists remain their first line of defense for truth and democracy with our pens microphones, and cameras.
He said Journalists influence how citizens understand the issues that shape their lives, and this is both a privilege and a profound responsibility.
He stated that the training is not merely about building skills, it is about forging a culture of integrity, accountability, and collaboration.
He concluded that they should strengthen the pillars of peace, democracy, and sustainable development in Sierra Leone West Africa and beyond.
The Journalist and Lecturer Dr. Francis Sowa (PhD, Esq.) in his presentation he said peace Journalism is a concept developed by Peace Studies pioneer Johan Gatung, as a form of conflict, reporting that focuses on depth, content, and solutions rather than sensationalism violence.
He stated that it aims to understand the root cause of conflict, give a voice to all sides expose lies and suffering, and offer creative ideas for peace.
Training of Journalists on the fight against misinformation and Disinformation by other facilitators and Distribution of Certificate to Journalists climaxed the occasion.
