The African Fact-Checking Awards, the oldest awards program recognizing fact-checking journalism by media outlets in Africa, are now in their ninth year.
Journalists, journalism students, and professional fact-checkers can now register for the 2022 edition.
The need for accurate information in everyday life has fueled the growth of fact-checking in Africa and around the world. In 2021, we received a record 216 entries from 28 African countries. We expect even more in 2022.
"The growing number of entries in recent years, coupled with the growth we have seen on the continent in terms of fact-checking, underscores the importance and need for accurate information across Africa," says Noko Makgato, executive director of Africa Check.
"We believe this will better inform public discourse on issues related to health, education, politics, and more. It will also strengthen democracy by enabling the public to make more informed decisions and hold those in power accountable."
Jean le Roux, winner of the 2021 Fact-check of the Year award for an active journalist, says that "in this information age, we find ourselves in a world where our ability to differentiate fact from fiction is tested daily."
He adds that "misinformation thrives in the absence of credible and reliable information, and this is where fact-checking plays a vital role in the information ecosystem. Providing the public with a source of information they can trust, one that is transparent in the methodologies it employs and provides the sources for its conclusions, is invaluable in an age when our online attention is more contested than ever."
To be eligible, articles must have been published or broadcast for the first time between August 23, 2021, and July 15, 2022. Fact-checking must lead to the conclusion that a claim on an important topic originating from or relating to Africa is either misleading or false.
The awards are divided into three categories, with one winner and one runner-up. The categories are as follows:
- Fact-check of the year by a working journalist
- Fact-check of the year by a fact-checking specialist
- Fact-Check by a Journalism Student
The winners in the "active journalist" and "fact-checking specialist" categories will each receive a prize of $3,000. The finalists will receive $1,500.
The winner of the journalism student category will receive $2,000 and the runner-up will receive $1,000.
The deadline for entries is midnight GMT on July 15, 2022. For more information and to view the terms and conditions, visit the African Fact-Checking Awards page.
Source: press release