ARIJ’s AFCN in Brazil Marks the Conclusion of a 3-Year Global South Study on Information Disorder
October 14, 2025
The Arab Fact-Checkers Network (AFCN) from ARIJ concluded its participation in the final meeting of the “Information Disorder in the Global South” research consortium, held in São Paulo, Brazil, from October 12 to 14, 2025. AFCN Manager Saja Mortada and Senior Researcher Dr. Arwa Kooli from Tunisia represented the network at the event.
Led by Stellenbosch University in South Africa and supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the consortium brought together research institutions from across the Global South: ARIJ’s AFCN (Arab region), Research ICT (Africa), Internet Lab (Latin America), and LIRNEasia (Asia). Over three years (2023–2025), the consortium examined the dynamics of information disorder, identifying challenges and successful approaches to countering it in the Global South.
During the closing meeting, participating organizations presented their key findings, evaluated the project’s overall experience, and outlined plans for releasing the final results. Discussions also focused on potential future research collaborations to strengthen global efforts against information disorder.
On the second day, Internet Lab—the meeting host—organized a public event attended by more than 50 journalists and researchers from Brazil. The event explored the study’s methodology, findings, and strategies for addressing misinformation across developing regions.
The meeting opened with remarks by Ruhiya Steward from IDRC and Professor Herman Wasserman, the study’s principal investigator. In the first panel, Saja Mortada presented AFCN’s main recommendations and practical mechanisms to advance fact-checking practices in the Arab world. Other panelists included Ester Borges (Internet Lab), Scott Timcke and Zara Schroeder (Research ICT Africa), with moderation by Dr. Meli Ncube from Stellenbosch University.
The consortium’s comprehensive study findings will be published in a book scheduled for release in January 2026. This was the consortium’s third in-person meeting, following earlier gatherings in Amman (during the 16th ARIJ Forum, December 2023) and South Africa, Cape Town (September 2024).
