Rabat, 06/10/2022 (MAP) – The importance of news agencies in the fight against misinformation in times of Covid-19 pandemic, especially with the advent of social networks, was highlighted, Thursday in Rabat, by participants in the seminar « Post-Covid: Challenges and Opportunities for African News Agencies », held as part of the 6th General Assembly of the Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA).
The journalist and media consultant Abdellah Tourabi, highlighted the undeniable role that MAP has played in the period of Covid-19, by offering reliable, clear and verified information.
To this end, Tourabi mentioned the deployment of the web platform « mapanticorona.ma », fed in real time and dedicated to the publication of all verified and credible information related to the Corona virus, thus keeping public opinion informed of developments concerning this pandemic.
Similarly, in its fight against misinformation, MAP has published no less than 500 news articles to counter the spread of fake news and provide citizens with safe and credible information.
For his part, president of the National Press Authority of Côte d’Ivoire, Samba Koné, noted that « the magnitude of this pandemic and the speed of its spread have led states and organizations to adapt and live with the virus ».
As a result, news agencies around the world have implemented telecommuting, which, according to Koné, « is in the DNA of news agencies”.
From this epic, we should remember the importance of the relevance of information and the need to fight against fake news, which has continued to spread, he added.
« It remains essential that the journalist shows rigor, » said Koné, highlighting the technological, human, organizational, economic and financial challenges of African news agencies in times of coronavirus.
The specialist in media sociology and communication organizations, Moustapha Samb, said that « the pandemic has hit Senegal hard, like other countries in Africa and the world, » highlighting the considerable decline in reporting and media coverage in times of lockdown.
David Sallinen, expert in content strategy and editorial engineering, said, for his part, that the period of pandemic Covid-19 has been particularly marked by a considerable increase in media subscriptions worldwide and an undeniable audience effect, stating that video consumption has increased by 30%.
Thus, many citizens subscribed to content that allowed them, in addition to following the information, « to have the means to understand and decipher the situations, » he said.
