Dubawa operates as a distinct unit within a legally registered non-profit organization in Nigeria, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), formerly the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ). CJID was founded in 2014 to promote a truly independent media landscape that advances fundamental human rights, good governance and accountability in West Africa through investigative journalism, open data and civic technology. CJID and Dubawa also operate in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia.

CJID is headquartered in Nigeria with registration number CAC/IT/NO 69519 by Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Copies of PTCIJ's certificate of incorporation, and constitution showing the relationship between CJID and Dubawa are attached.

Founded in 2018, Dubawa is an independent West African verification and fact-checking project initiated by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). It is supported by a number of influential newsrooms and civic organisations in West Africa.

Its aim is to amplify a culture of truth in public discourse, public policy, and journalistic practice. Since I first assessed Dubawa in 2019, the organisation - initially launched in Nigeria - has continued to grow and today it also operates in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia.

Dubawa operates as a distinct unit within the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), a legally registered non-profit organisation. It was previously known as the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ). 

CJID was founded in 2014 "to promote a truly independent media landscape that advances fundamental human rights, good governance and accountability in West Africa through investigative journalism, open data and civic technology."

Dubawa obtains its legal and operational powers through the CJID, its parent non-profit organisation. CJID is headquartered in Nigeria with registration number CAC/IT/NO 69519 by the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria (CAC). 

CJID is headquartered in Nigeria by Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), under the registration CAC/IT/NO 69519. Copies of PTCIJ's certificate of incorporation, and constitution showing the relationship between CJID and Dubawa were included in this application for IFCN renewal 

See https://bit.ly/3Pdb7D6 

Dubawa was founded in 2018 in Nigeria and since then expanded into all English-speaking West countries. It was officially launched in Ghana in 2020, and in Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia in 2021. Dubawa was set up as a response to the increasing challenge of information disorder exacerbated by the eroding trust in journalism and the competing forces of social media and the desire for accurate information by citizens. Dubawa believes that by providing accurate information, building the capacity of the media and other stakeholders and contributing to research around information disorder, the quality of information disseminated to the public will not also be improved but will also help to promote good governance and democratic accountability in the West African sub-region.

2. How many people work or volunteer in the organization and what are their roles? 

Dubawa has a total of 16 full-time staff

1 Director: provides programmatic leadership and support for Dubawa in all countries

3 Programme Officers: manage the operations of the researchers and oversee the implementation of other project activities in each of the operational countries (Ghana - oversight over operations in The Gambia and Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria)

3 Editors: responsible for editing fact-checks to ensure they remain compliant with universal methods and standards while responding to specificities that the local context may require

7 Researchers/ fact-checkers: responsible for investigating public claims and writing fact-checks that respond to misinformation in line with our editorial standards

1 Communications Officer: responsible for publishing fact-checks on the website and social media

1 Audience Engagement Officer: Handles interactions with Dubawa’s audiences on social media platforms

Additionally, Dubawa has five part-time fact-checkers across the five countries it operates in. Also, through other activities including Dubawa’s annual Kwame Karikari Fact-checking and Research Fellowship, some regular volunteers provide content for publication on the website. To ensure consistency and quality of fact-checks, volunteers undergo rigorous training on the tenets and art of fact-checking and Dubawa’s editorial protocols. In 2021, Dubawa had over 20 volunteers at various points. This number includes the volunteers from our Fellowship Program and our affiliated network of student journalists through our Campus Fact-checking Project.

3. What different activities does your organization carry out?

Aside from daily fact-checking of public claims culminating in the publication of accurate, unbiased news reports, Dubawa carries out the following activities:

Capacity Building: It promotes capacity-building activities for journalists and other relevant stakeholders through training workshops. In 2021, Dubawa carried out pieces of training in all five English-speaking countries for journalists and civil society organisations.

Research: Dubawa contributes to knowledge around information disorder especially in Africa by commissioning research on same. It has published some of these research findings on its Information Disorder Analysis Centre (IDAC) website.

Media and Information Literacy Campaigns: Through its annual Week for Truth Project, an online and offline campaign where volunteers are deployed to public places including schools, Dubawa contributes to improving media and information literacy among citizens

 4. What are the goals of your fact-checking operation over the coming year?

In 2022, Dubawa aims to achieve the following:

1. Continue to encourage a more involved, and media and information literate citizenry through media literacy articles, fact-checks, analysis, fact sheets and online/offline engagement

2. Through our capacity-building workshops and annual Kwame Karikari Fact-checking and Research Fellowship, continue to equip newsrooms with the skills and knowledge to make fact-checking a norm in newsrooms.

3. Conduct research and build technological tools that adequately identify, analyze and counter information disorder while building a body of knowledge around misinformation in the West African sub-region.

4. Partner newsrooms and data-driven agencies to obtain and digitalize factual information on politics, economy/statistics and health so that Dubawa becomes the hub for verified information in West Africa

1) Dubawa was founded in 2018 in Nigeria and since then it has expanded into all English-speaking West African countries. It was officially launched in Ghana in 2020, and in Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia in 2021. 

"Dubawa was set up as a response to the increasing challenge of information disorder [that is] exacerbated by the eroding trust in journalism and the competing forces of social media and the desire for accurate information by citizens. 

"Dubawa believes that by providing accurate information, building the capacity of the media and other stakeholders, and by contributing to research around information disorder, the quality of information disseminated to the public will not only be improved but will also help to promote good governance and democratic accountability in the West African sub-region."

2) Dubawa has a total of 16 full-time staff. They are:

i) A Director, who provides programmatic leadership and support for Dubawa in all countries in which it operates;

ii)Three Programme Officers: they manage the operations of the researchers and oversee the implementation of other project activities in each of the countries in which Duba operates. (i.e. Ghana, which has oversight over operations in The Gambia and Liberia, and Sierra Leone and Nigeria);

iii) Three editors responsible for editing fact-checks to ensure they remain compliant with Dubawa's "universal methods and standards."

iv) Seven researchers/ fact-checkers responsible for investigating public claims and writing fact-checks;

v) A Communications Officer responsible for publishing fact-checks on the website and social media;

vi) An Audience Engagement Officer, who handles interactions with Dubawa’s audiences on social media platforms;

In addition, Dubawa has five part-time fact-checkers across the five countries in which it operates in. Regular volunteers provide content for publication on the website through other activities, including Dubawa’s annual Kwame Karikari Fact-checking and Research Fellowship.

To ensure consistency and quality of fact-checks, volunteers undergo rigorous training on fact-checking and Dubawa’s editorial processes.

Dubawa had over 20 volunteers in 2021. They included volunteers from the Fellowship Program and the organisation's affiliated network of student journalists, via its Campus Fact-checking Project.

3) Besides fact-checking, Dubawa also undertakes:

i) Capacity Building: The organisation facilitates workshops to promote capacity-building activities for journalists and other relevant stakeholders. Dubawa conducted fact-checking training for journalists and civil society organisations in all five English-speaking countries in which it operates;

ii) Research: Dubawa commissions research into information disorder, especially, in Africa. The organisation has published some of these research findings on its Information Disorder Analysis Centre (IDAC) website. https://bit.ly/3osizid 

iii) Media and Information Literacy Campaigns: Through its annual Week for Truth Project, an online and offline campaign where volunteers are deployed to public places like schools, Dubawa also works to improve media and information literacy among citizens,

4. Dubawa's goals for 2022 include:

i) Continuing to encourage "a more involved and media and information literate citizenry" through media literacy articles, fact-checks, analysis, fact sheets, and online and offline engagement;

2. Continuing to equip newsrooms with the skills and knowledge to make fact-checking a norm, through capacity-building workshops and the annual Kwame Karikari Fact-checking and Research Fellowship;

3. Conducting research and building tech tools that help identify, analyse and counter information disorder, "while building a body of knowledge around misinformation in the West African sub-region;

4. Partnering with newsrooms and data-driven agencies to obtain and digitise factual information on politics, economy/statistics, and health, "so that Dubawa becomes the hub for verified information in West Africa."

Dubawa publishes an average of five fact-checks every week. All Dubawa's published fact-checking content can be accessed on these websites:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

A spreadsheet containing fact-checks published over the last six months is attached.

Dubawa has easily met this requirement across the five countries in which it operates. The most fact-checks published were from Nigeria and Ghana. Hopefully, the number of fact-checks from Sierre Leone, Liberia and The Gambia will increase as new fact-checkers are trained and a culture of fact-checking takes root in these countries.

Links to country fact-checks: 

Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/

Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/

The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

All Dubawa's published fact-checking content can be accessed on these websites:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

After reviewing fact-checks published during the period under review I can confirm that Dubawa has met the necessary criteria. Fact-checks covered a wide range of claims around issues that included Covid-19, politics, health, economics, and social justice. Fact-checks included claims published by the media, speeches and claims by politicians, and on social media platforms. It is clear that Dubawa casts its net wide in seeking out issues and claims to fact-check. This includes inviting the public to submit claims for fact-checking. 

See: Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/ 

Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/ 

Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/

Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/

The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Dubawa has no financial affiliation with any politician, political party or state actor. However, Dubawa has partnered with state agencies, institutions and actors over the years as part of efforts to address information disorder. For instance, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Dubawa entered into partnerships with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Nigeria, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Ministry of Information in Ghana to create awareness of, and verify, public health misinformation. Dubawa has also hosted politicians at some of its events including at its launch in all its operational countries and also at some webinars aimed at drawing public attention to information disorder and the need to collaboratively address it. These partnerships did not result in any financial remuneration and were strictly voluntary. 

From Dubawa's application:

"Dubawa has no financial affiliation with any politician, political party or state actor. 

"However, Dubawa has partnered with state agencies, institutions, and actors over the years as part of efforts to address information disorder. For instance, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Dubawa entered into partnerships with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Nigeria, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and the Ministry of Information in Ghana to create awareness of, and to verify public health misinformation. 

"Dubawa has also hosted politicians at some of its events, including at its launch in all its operational countries and also at some webinars aimed at drawing public attention to information disorder and the need to collaboratively address it. These partnerships did not result in any financial remuneration and were strictly voluntary."

Dubawa does not receive funding from local or foreign state actors or political sources. For our funding source, this page on our website outlines our funders' names and includes a statement showing the total editorial independence of our work.

Dubawa does not receive funding from local or foreign state actors or political sources. Details of all its funding and funders are published here: https://bit.ly/3Bl1Kgw 

From the funding page: "While we are open about reporting our funding support, the funders have absolutely no influence on our judgments and editorial decisions."

Its "Independence Policy" can be found here: https://bit.ly/3PAkVHi 

From the policy: "While Dubawa acknowledges the right of every individual to contest for an elective position as well as support any candidate of their choice running for an elective position, it is our opinion that the independence of the platform may be called into question if team members are partisan. To this end, any team member who wants to contest elections or support/ sponsor a candidate in any form, either by active campaigning or donating to a campaign fund, shall resign his/her position on the team. Dubawa and members of its team, as well as contributors and members of the governing and editorial board, shall, by all means, remain non-partisan."

Dubawa adheres to a strict and diligent process for selection, research, writing, and editing for its fact-checking exercise. A standard fact-checking process begins with claim selection (suggested either internally or by the public), followed by the assignment of the claim to a researcher, investigation of the claim by the researcher, and two-level editing of the fact-check by the editors and then publication. Our claim sourcing policy, that is, what we agree is worth fact-checking, is guided by the virality of the claim, significance, etc. while our research policy is guided by a five-layered evaluation mechanism that privileges: Named sources over unnamed sources; authoritative over random sources; independent over self-interested sources; verifiable over assertive sources; and multiple over single sources. A detailed description of our process can be found here.

Here are a few of our fact-checks which provide evidence of our diversity, non-partisanship and high standards:

1. https://dubawa.org/false-dr-ceesay-and-the-citizens-alliance-party-have-not-endorsed-adama-barrow/
2. https://dubawa.org/the-sierra-leone-football-team-did-not-travel-by-boat-to-cameroon-for-afcon2021-as-claimed-by-football-world/
3. https://ghana.dubawa.org/majority-of-incumbent-governments-including-npp-retained-power-in-2020-elections-contrary-to-claims-by-john-boadu/
4. https://ghana.dubawa.org/video-of-gunfight-in-a-parking-lot-shows-clashes-in-iraq-2020-and-not-from-the-bawku-conflict/
5. https://ghana.dubawa.org/false-communication-service-tax-was-not-increased-during-john-mahamas-government/
6. https://ghana.dubawa.org/e-levy-controversy-western-regional-ministers-claim-on-poverty-levels-misleading/
7. https://ghana.dubawa.org/okudzeto-ablakwa-falsely-claims-that-ghana-recorded-highest-budget-deficit-in-the-world-due-to-covid-19-expenditure/
8. https://dubawa.org/nasarawa-government-used-picture-from-brazil-to-depict-status-of-road-in-state/
9. https://dubawa.org/is-lagos-largest-economy-in-africa-fact-checking-tinubus-claims-on-governorship-term/
10. https://dubawa.org/hushpuppi-did-not-execute-400000-fraud-from-us-prison/

All of the claims that resulted in the writing of the fact-check reports above met Dubawa’s claim selection criteria: 1. they were viral, 2. they had the potential to influence public opinion and in some cases impact public security,  and 3. they were made by public figures, influential actors or persons with large social media followings - regardless of political affiliation, and were important for public discourse.

The fact-checks also show precisely where Dubawa obtained the claim with screenshots or hyperlinks for audience verification.

The verification process included selecting authoritative, verifiable, independent and multiple sources and ensuring we get as downstream as possible to the primary source of information. All sources of information or evidence used are explicitly presented to, again, aid audience verification.

Context, clarity and transparency are ensured in our writing process, which is why our fact-checks are structured in sections - summary, introduction, verification and conclusion.

Dubawa's guiding principle is to fact-check claims, not people.

From application: "Dubawa adheres to a strict and diligent process for selection, research, writing, and editing for its fact-checking exercise. 

"A standard fact-checking process begins with claim selection (suggested either internally or by the public), followed by the assignment of the claim to a researcher, investigation of the claim by the researcher, and two-level editing of the fact-check by the editors and then publication. 

"Our claim sourcing policy, that is, what we agree is worth fact-checking, is guided by the virality of the claim, significance, etc. while our research policy is guided by a five-layered evaluation mechanism that privileges: Named sources over unnamed sources; authoritative over random sources; independent over self-interested sources; verifiable over assertive sources; and multiple over single sources."

Full details of policy here: https://bit.ly/3zd2kLU

Dubawa’s claim selection process can be found here on it’s website. To ensure our fact-checks are diverse and truly representative of claims in the public sphere claims identified for fact-checking must meet certain criteria. They must;

1. be viral or have the potential to become viral
2. be made by a public figure [a person with large followership]
3. be claims a typical person hear or read the statement and wonder, 'is that true'?

Thus, claims are fact-checked regardless of the political affiliation of the person making if they meet these criteria.

From application:

"To ensure our fact-checks are diverse and truly representative of claims in the public sphere claims identified for fact-checking must meet certain criteria. They must:

be viral or have the potential to become viral;

be made by a public figure [a person with a large following;

be claims a typical person may hear or read...and wonder, 'is that true?'

Claims are fact-checked regardless of the political affiliation of the person making it if they meet these criteria.

Full details of policy here: https://bit.ly/3zd2kLU

Dubawa's fact checks can be accessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Criteria met. Based on a random review of Dubawa's fact-checks and various social media accounts, it is clear that  Dubawa focuses on all sides of the political spectrum and applies the same protocols and standards of assessment to all its fact-checks, no matter who is being fact-checked.

Dubawa's fact checks can be accessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Fact-checks published over the previous year can also be accessed on this spreadsheet.

A random assessment of fact-checks shows that Dubawa meets the necessary criteria. Fact-checks for the countries in which it operates can be found here: 

Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/  

Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/

Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/

The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

As published on our website, this policy is read and agreed to by our researchers and volunteers. We also refer to the policy from time to time to ensure compliance by all staff.

Find it here.

Dubawa has a stringent policy on non-partisanship for everyone who works for the organisation. 

From the policy: "While Dubawa acknowledges the right of every individual to contest for an elective position, as well as to support any candidate of their choice running for an elective position, it is our opinion that the independence of the platform may be called to question if team members are partisan. 

"To this end, any team member who wants to contest elections or support/ sponsor a candidate in any form, either by active campaigning or donating to a campaign fund, shall resign his/her position on the team. Dubawa and members of its team, as well as contributors and members of the governing and editorial board, shall, by all means, remain non-partisan."

Full policy here: https://bit.ly/3PAkVHi 

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Criteria met.

A random sample of checks shows that Dubawa identifies and, almost always, links to these sources, allowing users to replicate the fact-check if they wish to.

Fact-checks for the various countries in which Dubawa operates can be found here:

Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/

Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/

The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Dubawa's fact checks can be assessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Fact-checks published over the last year can also be found in this spreadsheet.

A random check shows that - as a rule - Dubawa always uses primary sources in its fact-checking work. Criteria met

Dubawa's fact checks can be assessed on the websites below:

Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/

Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/

The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Dubawa's fact checks can be assessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Fact-checks published over the last year can also be found in this spreadsheet.

Dubawa meets these criteria by seeking out as many additional sources as possible. It also links to evidence whenever possible, and gives clear reasons for the conclusions it reaches in fact-checks.

Dubawa's fact checks can be assessed on the websites below:

Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/

Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/

The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Fact checks published by Dubawa can be assessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Fact-checks published over the last year can also be found in this spreadsheet.

Criteria met

Based on an assessment of a random selection of fact-checks shows that Dubawa identifies any interests that sources may have that could have an influence on the information or evidence they supply to the fact-checker.

Dubawa is a fact-checking project of a non-governmental organization, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), formerly the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ). Attached is the Article of Incorporation of the parent organization the parent body.

Our website also provides information about the relationship between Dubawa and its parent organisation.

Dubawa is a fact-checking project of a non-governmental organization, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), formerly the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ). See PDFs attached to Criteria One for details.

Details on website: https://bit.ly/3Pdb7D6

Dubawa is a fact-checking project of a non-governmental organization, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), formerly the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ). Attached is the Article of Incorporation of the parent organization the parent body.

Our website also provides information about the relationship between Dubawa and its parent organisation.

Dubawa is a fact-checking project of a non-governmental organization, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), formerly the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ).

https://dubawa.org/about-us/governance-organisation/

The Dubawa team is set up for fact-checking and related activities. The team is headed by the Centre’s Director of Innovation, Verification and Media Literacy and is aided by Country Editors who act as country team leads. Editorial control is exercised by Country Editors with oversight by second-level editors. 

"The Dubawa team is set up for fact-checking and related activities. The team is headed by the Centre’s Director of Innovation, Verification and Media Literacy and is assisted by country editors who act as country team leads. Editorial control is exercised by country editors, with oversight by second-level editors."

Full details here: https://bit.ly/3PE1hKx

Key staff members and their biographies can be found here.

See details here: https://bit.ly/3RIcDyU (click on photos for full biographies).

Dubawa encourages its audiences to engage with its content and team. Our contact details (on WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, phone numbers, and email) are clearly stated here. Our audience can also easily find this information by clicking the contact icons at the top right corner of our website.

Users can contact Dubawa using the social media icons (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc) in the thin navigation bar running across the top right of all the site's pages. 4

They can also make contact via a "contact us" hyperlink in the "Got a claim for us to fact-check?" box on the right-hand side of all the site's pages.

Dubawa maintains a five-step process that culminates in the publication of a fact-check. From our claim selection to research, writing and publication, our fact-checking team MUST answer specific questions and go through an internal checklist to ensure the reports are truth-based, relevant and unbiased.

Find Dubawa's methodology here: https://dubawa.org/about-us/our-fact-check-process/    

From the application: "Dubawa maintains a five-step process that culminates in the publication of a fact-check. From our claim selection to research, writing and publication, our fact-checking team MUST answer specific questions and go through an internal checklist to ensure the reports are truth-based, relevant and unbiased."

Full details of Dubawa's fact-checking methodology here: https://bit.ly/3zd2kLU 

Dubawa's fact checks can be accessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Criteria met

Based on a random assessment of fact-checks and a review of Dubawa's fact-checking process (https://bit.ly/3zd2kLU) it is clear that Dubawa relies on a selection of sources, both primary and secondary, to reach its conclusions. Fact-checks are in a format that is easy to understand and to follow.

Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/ 

Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/

Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/

The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Dubawa's fact checks can be accessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Criteria met

Evidence that appears to support a claim, as well as any evidence that might refute, it is included in a fact-check, before Dubawa's conclusion is presented.

Dubawa's fact checks can be accessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Criteria met

The same standards for fact-checks are used, irrespective of who made the claim.

See:

Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/

Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/

Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/

The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Dubawa's fact checks can be accessed on the websites below:

1. Nigeria - https://dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
2. Ghana - https://ghana.dubawa.org/category/fact-check/
3. Sierra Leone - https://dubawa.org/category/country/sierra-leone/
4. Liberia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/liberia/
5. The Gambia: https://dubawa.org/category/country/the-gambia/

Criteria met

Based on a random sample of fact-checks, Dubawa always tries to reach out to the person making a claim. But this is not always possible, particularly where claims are made on social media and it is not possible to ascertain the original source for a claim.

We regularly ask our audience to engage with our content and send us claims they want to be fact-checked either through our social media channels or via email. We have spelt out here the criteria that claims need to meet to be ‘fact-checkable’ and have also indicated clearly the criteria that claims from users need to meet to be fact-checked..

https://dubawa.org/about-us/our-fact-check-process/

From the application: "We regularly ask our audience to engage with our content and send us claims they want to be fact-checked, either through our social media channels or via email. "

There is also a "Got a claim for us to fact-check?" block on the right-hand side of all pages on the website. It has a "Contact Us" link that leads to a page with contact details and links to Dubawa's pages on various social media platforms, and email, through which users can also make contact. https://bit.ly/3yMh17f n

It also spells out how claims are selected, and the criteria for fact-checks. See here: https://bit.ly/3zd2kLU 

Dubawa's correction policy can be found here: https://dubawa.org/about-us/corrections-policy/

Dubawa corrects and updates, where necessary, where fresh evidence emerges that significantly changes the verdict of a report. In such instances, explanations are offered and the correction is published on the website as well as on our social media pages. 

Dubawa's correction policy is accessed via the "About" tab on the main navigation bar on all pages on the site: https://bit.ly/3czMkus 

Dubawa's correction policy can be found here: https://dubawa.org/about-us/corrections-policy/

Criteria met

From Dubawa's Correction Policy: https://bit.ly/3OA4Ekx 

"Content creators and publishers should promptly make amendments to an article which has been found false or misleading. If the rating is in dispute, the publisher should contact us and request a review of the evaluation. We will access the integrity of the content based on information provided and available at the time of publication. Peradventure, a third party or we discover that we made a mistake, we will promptly clarify, correct, or update the story. In the spirit of transparency, we will offer explanations on what warranted the change, why we made it, and when we corrected said article."

In the recent past, we have had to correct some copies due to new evidence provided by complainants. For instance, during the live fact-check of the Anambra election debate in 2021, we had to retract an earlier published fact-check when new facts emerged. The new article was given equal prominence on our website and social media pages and we reached the claimant to apologise.

Link here: https://dubawa.org/correction-abati-right-on-anambra-unemployment-rate/

A tweet which incorrectly stated the number of registered voters in The Gambia was also duly corrected: https://twitter.com/DubawaGM/status/1467208101526974469

Dubawa has supplied two examples of corrections.

1) During a live fact-check of the Anambra election debate in 2021, Dubawa retracted an earlier published fact-check after new facts emerged. The new article was prominently flagged as a "CORRECTION" and was published on Dubawa's website and social media pages. They also contacted the "claimant" to apologise. See: https://bit.ly/3b0Mef8 

2) A tweet that incorrectly stated the number of registered voters in The Gambia was also corrected: See: https://twitter.com/DubawaGM/status/1467208101526974469 

Users who believe Dubawa has or is violating the IFCN code are provided information on where to lodge their complaints or report. Here is the link to the information: https://dubawa.org/about-us/corrections-policy/

Users dissatisfied with Dubawa's response to a complaint are provided with a link to report this to IFCN. See here:  https://dubawa.org/about-us/corrections-policy/

Dubawa's parent body, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), does not have a corrections policy. However, Dubawa's can be found here: https://dubawa.org/about-us/corrections-policy/

Dubawa's parent body, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), does not have a corrections policy. See Dubawa's policy here: https://dubawa.org/about-us/corrections-policy/