Partners & Donors In-Person Meeting with AFCN Community: Last Regional Meeting in 2024 at #ARIJ24
December 7, 2024
The Arab Fact-Checkers Network (AFCN) community led by ARIJ, met in its 12th regional meeting during ARIJ’s annual forum. The AFCN has been organizing regional meetings since 2022, during which key issues contributing to the growth and maturity of the Arab fact-checking community have been discussed. The impact of these efforts is evident in the outcomes of eight regional meetings held between 2022 and 2023, published in both Arabic and English.
The 12th regional meeting was exceptional, bringing together fact-checkers from 31 fact-checking organizations/initiatives and freelance fact-checkers in-person during ARIJ’s 17th Forum in Jordan on December 7, 2024, and virtually via Zoom. The meeting was attended by ARIJ donors, partners, and supporters who believed in ARIJ’s vision to build an Arab network of fact-checkers as a critical contribution to independent and transparent journalism and to combat misinformation.
With over 100 attendees from more than 20 countries, the meeting was opened by Dr. Zahera Harb, Chairperson of ARIJ’s Board. In her speech, she emphasized the board’s confidence in the tremendous efforts made by the AFCN and praised ARIJ Director General Rawan Damen and AFCN Manager Saja Mortada for successfully transforming these efforts into achievements. Dr. Harb encouraged fact-checkers to recognize their role in this critical phase, stating: “You are not just fact-checkers; you are journalists specializing in fact-checking. Do not consider yourselves on the margins of the profession. You are at its core. Without you, there can be no honest and transparent journalism.”
Following an introduction to the AFCN and its extended network across 12 Arab countries, ARIJ Director General Rawan Damen presented a summary of the AFCN’s work over the past four years since its inception. She showcased the network’s completed projects, its impact on promoting a culture of fact-checking in the region, and the AFCN’s five-year strategy for 2025–2030.
During the meeting’s main discussion, fact-checkers and attendees reflected on the AFCN’s achievements and identified key goals for the next five years.
Examples of achievements highlighted by fact-checkers:
- Mohamed Al-Mokhtar (Freelancer – Sudan): Organized crisis and war response.
- Ameen Otle (Freelancer – Jordan): developed fact-checking methodologies within media organizations.
- Badra Dabbabi (She Checks – Libya): Networking and providing advanced AI-supported tools for fact-checking in Arabic.
- Ghassan Ben Chiheb (Tahaqqaq – Morocco): Relaunching the platform through support from AFCN.
- Haider Hamzouz (The Checker – Iraq): Strengthening cross-border collaboration between platforms.
- Ghias Aljundi (Fareq – Syria): AFCN’s support for Fareq since its launch.
- Dina Ibrahim (Akhbar Meter – Egypt): AFCN’s assistance for Akhbar Meter in becoming IFCN signatory.
Examples of priorities highlighted by donors and supporters for the next five years:
- Lucia Gardel (Chequeado – Argentina): Focus on narratives, systematic disinformation campaigns, and enhancing media literacy.
- Arwa Kooli (Professor at IPSI – Tunisia): Overcoming the challenge of access to accurate information and data scarcity in the Arab world.
- Henrik Grunnet (IMS – Denmark): Finding ways to convince donors of the network’s impact and ensuring the general public understands fact-checking and has greater access to it.
- Peter Jones (Visiting Researcher at Westminster University – UK): Prioritizing fact-checking efforts and clarifying their desired impact.
- Chris Morris (Full Fact – UK): Enhancing Full Fact tools in Arabic to streamline fact-checking processes with AI support.
- Angie Holan (IFCN – US): Encouraging greater adherence to IFCN principles that guarantee accuracy, transparency, and independence, unifying global fact-checking efforts.
It is worth noting that this regional meeting was the fourth in 2024 and the twelfth in the series of regional meetings launched in 2022. This meeting was distinguished by bringing fact-checkers together for the first time with the AFCN’s donors and supporters from ARIJ.
