AFCN Conducted “Fact-Checking Harmful Information” training at ARIJ25 Forum
December 7, 2025
Within the framework of the ARIJ25 forum in Amman, ARIJ’s AFCN held a specialized workshop titled “Fact-Checking Harmful Information” from December 5-7, 2025, supported by the Norwegian investigative journalism foundation (SKUP).
This workshop was developed in response to the findings of the third year of the “Information Disorder in the Arab World (2023-2025)” study, conducted by AFCN with support from the IDRC. The study highlighted the critical need for fact-checkers to shift focus from merely checking “viral” claims to prioritizing claims that cause tangible “harm” to society.
The training was led by international expert Peter Cunliffe-Jones, Visiting Researcher at the University of Westminster and founder of Africa Check, alongside Dr. Arwa Kooli, a professor at the Institute of Press and Information Sciences in Tunisia and an expert in fact-checking.
Over three days, the workshop provided +20 participants from 11 Arab countries represented 20 fact-checking organisations/platforms, with practical tools for a “Triage Process,” a methodology designed to help fact-checking organisations select which claims to verify based on rigorous criteria for assessing potential harm whether political, social, health-related, or economic.
The training included intensive practical exercises on implementing this impact-focused approach within Arab newsrooms to ensure limited resources are used effectively to counter disinformation that directly affects people’s lives.
Participants discussed the challenges facing fact-checkers today, including the “war on facts,” and explored ways to build trust with audiences and funders by demonstrating the real-world impact of their work.
Amjad Khorwat, a fact-checker from Annir – Libya, emphasized the importance of the workshop: “The training came at the right time as our team is working on improving verification methodologies and developing clear mechanisms for measuring harm, which elevates content quality and enhances impact”.
A participant from the Yemeni Organization, Sidq, expressed that the practical side of the training was extremely beneficial, especially the real-world examples related to harm assessment, in addition to the teamwork with participants and benefiting from their experiences. He added “The in-person training experience was also excellent and facilitated understanding and application”.
This workshop is part of AFCN’s ongoing efforts to enhance the skills of Arab fact-checkers and develop effective strategies to combat disinformation in the region. AFCN will build upon this work to further strengthen the operations of fact-checking organizations in the future.
It’s worth mentioning that ARIJ’s AFCN published at ARIJ25 forum the “Fact-Checking Reports Quality Assurance Booklet“, inspired by Peter Cunliffe-Jones’s book, Fake News – What’s the Harm?, which offers a powerful framework for thinking about the real-world harms resulting from viral misinformation. Furthermore, the handbook, which is based on internationally agreed-upon standards, is also informed by AFCN’s study on potential harm assessment conducted as part of the broader “Information Disorder in the Global South” study.
