The African Fact-Checking Awards, a prestigious awards program that recognizes excellence in fact-checking journalism by African media, is celebrating its eleventh year. Journalists, journalism students, and professional fact-checkers from across the continent are invited to submit their entries for the 2024 awards.
The awards consist of three categories, each recognizing a winner and a runner-up. These categories include:
- Fact-Check of the Year by a Working Journalist
- Fact-Check of the Year” awarded by an expert fact-checker.
- Fact-Check of the Year by a Student Journalist
Prize
- Winners of the working journalist and professional fact-checker categories will each receive a prize of US$3,000.
- Runners-up in these categories will be awarded $1,500.
- The winner of the student journalist category will receive $2,000.
- The runner-up in the student journalist category will be awarded $1,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- The entry for this competition must be the original work of the individual or team stated in the entry form as the author.
- The entry should debunk a misleading or incorrect claim on a significant topic related to or originating from Africa.
- The fact-checking journalism piece must be original and should have been first published or broadcasted between 1 July 2023 and 14 July 2024.
- While fact-checks can be published or broadcast in any language, the entry form must be completed in English or French. If the fact-checking report is not in English or French, a written translation must be submitted along with the entry.
- By submitting an entry, the entrant confirms their authorship of the work. Any authorship disputes will be the sole responsibility of the entrant.
- The competition excludes reports published by Africa Check.
- Candidates can only enter for awards in one category per year but are allowed to submit multiple reports if they wish.
- Entrants who engage in unethical behavior about their entry will be disqualified.
- Entrants must agree to participate in media interviews or provide reports about the awards if they win.
Judging Criteria
- Significance: Evaluation of the importance of the claim or statement investigated for society. Consideration is given to how relevant the topic is for society at large and the potential consequences if the claim was not fact-checked.
- Testing: Examination of how the claim was evaluated against the available evidence. Fact-checkers must thoroughly analyze the claim or statement, meticulously assessing the publicly accessible evidence both supporting and refuting it. This process should be fair to the individual or organization that made the claim while maintaining strict standards in evaluating the evidence.
- Presentation: Assessment of how effectively the piece presents the evidence regarding the claim. A well-executed fact-checking report should be structured in a manner that is easily understandable and accessible to a wide audience.
- Impact: Consideration of the impact that the fact-check had on public discourse related to the topic. The evaluation focuses on factors such as whether it prompted corrections, generated substantial reach, or was shared by other organizations or media outlets.
Application Process
Entries close at midnight GMT on 14 July 2024. To submit an entry for the African Fact-Checking Awards click here.
Visit the official website of the African Fact-Checking Awards for further details.
Application Deadline
July 14, 2024.
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