African Fact-Checking Awards 2020 for Journalists

Entries for the seventh annual African Fact-Checking Awards are now open. This is the only awards programme that honours journalism by Africa-based media in the expanding field of fact-checking.

Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has ushered a flood of dangerous false information. The World Health Organization says the outbreak has been accompanied by the so-called infodemic: “an overabundance of information – some accurate and some not – that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it”.

The pandemic has raised the stakes even higher in the fight against misinformation, requiring that the media play an even more active role in sifting the facts from the fiction. As a result of the growing interest in fact-checking on the continent, Africa Check is expecting an increase in the quantity and quality of entries in 2020.

African Fact-Checking Awards Categories.

This year’s categories include:

• Fact-Check of the Year by a Working Journalist
• Fact-Check of the Year by a Student Journalist
• One runner-up in each of the two categories above

African Fact-Checking Awards Eligibility.

• Best fact-checking report by a working journalist
  • To be eligible, the entry must be an original piece of fact-checking journalism first published or broadcast on any date from August 1, 2019 to July 22, 2020, by a media- or independent fact-checking organisation based in Africa.
  • The work may be published in print or online, broadcast on the radio or television or published in a blog.
  • Reports published by Africa Check are not eligible for the competition. 
• Best fact-checking report by a student journalist
  • To be eligible, the candidate must have attended a journalism school in Africa at some period between August 1, 2019 and July 22, 2020 and be younger than 35.
  • The entry must be an original piece of fact-checking journalism, produced as course work or first published or broadcast on any date from August 1, 2019 to July 22, 2020, in a blog, student publication or by a media- or independent fact-checking organisation based in Africa.
  • The work may be published in print or online, broadcast on the radio or television or published in a blog. Reports published by Africa Check are not eligible for the competition.
• Candidates can only enter for the awards in one category per year, but can submit more than one report if they choose.

African Fact-Checking Awards Benefits.

• The winner of the award for best fact-checking report by a working journalist will get a prize of $3,000.
• The runner-up will be awarded $1,500.
• The winner of the award for best fact-checking report by a student journalist will get a prize of $2,000, and the runner-up $1,000.

African Fact-Checking Awards Judging Criteria.

The entries will be judged on the following four criteria:

• The significance for wider society of the claim investigated
• How the claim was tested against the available evidence
• How well the piece presented the evidence for and against the claim
• The impact that the publication had on public debate on the topic.

How to Enter African Fact-Checking Awards.

Please make sure to complete all the relevant fields for the category that you are entering in order to be considered for the awards. Entries close at midnight GMT on July 22, 2020.

Apply Here Official Link

Entries close at midnight GMT on 22 July 2020. The shortlist will be unveiled in September 2020 – do be on the lookout!