Call for Applications: Fact-Checking fellowship (Mali)

As part of a joint initiative between CFA and USAID, these part-time fellowships are available to journalists and fact-checkers in Mali to support their efforts to strengthen the integrity of information and demystify rumours of mis/disinformation reported in communities in Mali.

Code for Africa (CfA) is the continent’s largest network of digital democracy laboratories, with over 100 full-time data scientists, forensic researchers, technologists and digital storytellers working in support of investigative media and watchdog CSO partners in 26 African countries. CfA builds digital solutions that provide actionable information to citizens to encourage informed decisions, while also amplifying voices to strengthen civic engagement for improved public governance and evidence-driven accountability.

About Fellowship

• For this cohort, CFA will award six, 6-month long stipend-based fellowships to pioneering journalists and/or fact-checkers in Mali to produce fact-checking articles and spotlight the most egregious or toxic disinformation.
• The fellows will receive intensive editorial training and mentoring from the PesaCheck, iLAB, and CFA’s African Fact-checking Alliance (AFCA) team through webinars and workshops, which they are encouraged to implement and share with their colleagues and peers within their organizations/newsrooms.
• The fellows will use their skills and platform of choice to share and amplify the resulting debunking. The fact-checks can take the form of written, visual or audio, primarily in local languages, with a particular focus on targeting young people.
• The details of the fellowship are outlined as follows:
  • Number of awards: Up to six Fellows will be selected.
  • Duration: 6 months
  • Award amount: Each Fellow will receive a suitable monthly stipend.
  • Additional support: Fellows will receive hands-on technical training, followed by one-on-one project mentorship by the fact-checking team from PesaCheck, investigative analysts from the iLAB, along with support from CFA’s staff technologists, data analysts, multimedia producers and editors. Fellows will also receive support that they can leverage to either strengthen the CheckDesks/newsrooms they belong to, or initiate flagship CheckDesks within these newsrooms that spotlight the most egregious or toxic disinformation.
  • Publishing support: Fellows will publish their project in their ‘home’ media, but will receive support to also publish internationally.

Eligibility Criteria

• You must be an established journalist or digital storyteller with a minimum of one year working in the media. You must have a portfolio of published work you can share.
• Preferred experience in fact-checking.
• You must be affiliated with a media partner: As such you must publish/broadcast your work in mainstream media.
• You must be fluent in French and preferably Bambara.
• You must have access to a reliable laptop or desktop computer with stable internet connectivity, to be able to participate in program activities and online courses/mentoring.
• You must be based in Mali.
• You must commit to publishing/disseminating your work on an appropriate public platform. CFA will assist with partnerships/syndications where appropriate.
• You must commit to sharing your new skills and knowledge within your organization, by presenting your projects and techniques to your peers.
• Be available for virtual meetings.

For more information, visit CFA.