AFCN Conducted Physical Safety Clinics for Fact-checkers
The “Arab Fact-Checkers Network” led by ARIJ, organised during May 2023, 9 physical safety one-to-one clinics for fact-checkers under the AFCN’s project “Dalil”, which is supported by the European Union, in partnership with “Siren” in Lebanon and “JOSA” in Jordan.
The Physical safety clinics were conducted by trainer Abdallah Maksour, who specialises in physical security for journalists covering conflict areas, and a trainer who conducts ARIJ’s safety and security courses.
The clinics focused on participants from countries exposed to political and security instability, such as Yemen, Iraq and Palestine, as the trainer assessed the current situation in their countries, then provided them with risk assessment mechanisms and how to deal with physical threats.
Participants in the clinics stressed the importance of skills to assess physical risks in their areas, in addition to the essential measures to protect themselves physically while working.
It is worth noting that AFCN provided in 2022, 40 one-to-one physical security clinics for fact-checkers in 7 Arab countries, to assure their physical safety.
“Dalil” is one of AFCN projects led by ARIJ, and aims to increase media literacy and access to accurate information in seven countries in the MENA region (Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia & Yemen).
