Events

As the world approaches 100 million cases of COVID-19 and surpasses 2 million deaths from the coronavirus worldwide, the Knight Center at the University of Texas at Austin and UNESCO are announcing a free of charge on online training initiative to combat the other disease that is further aggravating the pandemic: the “disinfodemic”.

The MOOC (massive open online course) will be taught in Spanish, Portuguese and Guaraní from 15th February to 14th March 2021 on the Knight Center’s online learning platform.

REGISTRATION HERE

This course was designed for journalists, reporters, editors, photographers, designers, advertisers, communication students and media researchers from the Western Hemisphere, but it is open to anyone interested in combating the wave of misinformation and disinformation that has spread during the pandemic.

"UNESCO works to address the causes and consequences of disinformation as part of its mandate to promote the rights of access to information and freedom of expression. And therefore, it is not only important for us to offer tools and resources that can empower journalists, communication workers, content creators and others who are at the forefront of countering the phenomenon of disinformation related to the pandemic, but also, to strengthen and highlight some of the excellent work carried out by fact-checking experts and organizations in the region”, said Sandra Sharman, Project Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean, '#CoronavirusFacts - Addressing' disinformation about COVID-19'.

“We are also proud to be the first to offer a MOOC of this kind in Guaraní, one of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages of the region, fostering inclusivity in this critical time" Sharman added.

In the four-week course, students will:

1. Look at the history of fact-checking and the IFCN and be introduced to example of fact-checking organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
2. Learn how to start a fact-checking unit, including creating a methodology and being transparent.
3. Be exposed to basic tools used by fact-checkers, with a specific look at the pandemic and election contexts.
4. Get an overview of regulation around the world used to stop or reduce the spread of mis/disinformation.

Related Content

Useful Links

• MOOC Website
• Video Presentation of the MOOC

URL:

https://events.unesco.org/event?id=MOOC_Disinformation_Fact-Checking_in_Times_of_COVID-19_in_Latin_America_and_the_Caribbean35339385&lang=1033