In the Democratic Republic of Congo, false security and health information continues to multiply on a daily basis. The current context of this country can better explain this phenomenon following violence in the region of large lakes characterized by tensions between countries.
The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebellious group of the March 23 movement (M23) active in the province of North Kivu, a neighboring province of this country that Paul Kagame directs. On the other hand, epidemics facing the DRC for years have favored the multiplication of false news. From Ebola to M-Pox via COVID-19, these diseases have shaken the Congolese media field. It is in this context that Eleza Fact , a media specializing in the verification of facts since 2022, has embarked on a fight against disinformation, in particular on security and health issues.
Esdras Tsongo, co-founder and editor-in-chief at Eleza Fact, said he was motivated by finding that "the dangers linked to disinformation are particularly worrying in our region, already weakened by war. Amplified by social networks, which now represent the main source of information for many, this disinformation finds fertile land in the absence of adequate regulation in the DRC. ”
With this in mind, he underlines, "we focused on security and health issues with a more community approach. These two themes resonate with the daily life of the Congolese. ”
In the DRC, the internet penetration rate remains low with only 0.03% for the fixed Internet and 27% for mobile Internet. This situation limits the access of many citizens to the opportunities offered by new information and communication technologies. To popularize the information verified from a wider audience, Eleza Fact has chosen to integrate into local communities and collaborate with other media.
“We have integrated both journalists and members of the community to help us monitor the rumors that circulate and check them within a shorter period. Since the majority of the population remains disconnected, we favor alternative channels such as community radios. Some verification items can be converted into audiograms and translated into local languages to reach a large audience. Information disorder represents a danger that only worsens the humanitarian crisis, "he said.
Eleza Fact is not only limited to the verification of the facts but is also involved in media education and information generating a positive impact within the community.
“We seek to contribute to improving the quality of information in the DRC through training on Fact-Checking and Media Education. This year 2024, we received to train 80 journalists and media officials in 3 provinces including Kindu, Ituri and Nord Kivu. We have also encouraged inter-media collaboration to coordinate efforts to combat false information in Ituri and Sud-Kivu, ”adds Esdras Tsongo.
Eleza Fact faces many challenges, including access to information sources, as Esdras Tsongo recalled.
“Sources, which should normally equip our research, are often difficult to find. Another major challenge concerns the safety of Fact-Checkers, which is not guaranteed. In a sometimes tense political environment, certain subjects of public interest are dismissed for fear of being arrested or intimidated by malicious individuals. With more than 200 local languages in the DRC, Eleza Fact journalists must adapt their content to effectively reach the audience, a complex task without good funding, ”he insists.
Compared to the ambitions for the coming years, Eleza Fact wants to position itself as a reference in Fact-Checking by integrating the concept of artificial intelligence.
“ Artificial intelligence takes up residence in the amplification of disinformation making our work even more complex. This is why we, actors, want an AI-based project to combat disinformation in the fields of health and the security crisis in the Grand-Lacs region thanks to a generative AI tool, controlled by a team of researchers, journalists and independent senior chiefs who master in depth the health and political situation of the Grand-Lacs " he concluded.
It is increasingly difficult to distinguish the true from the false, the authentic of the dummy, in everything that circulates on social networks and the Democratic Republic of Congo is no exception to this scourge.
Augustine
Faithful kitsa