The spread of disinformation can have serious consequences, but that doesn’t mean we only have to tackle this problem with a serious face. In collaboration with the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) journalism department, In Old News has just launched a free online course that covers the essentials of fact checking, and explores creative ways to counter disinformation using just a phone. This cross-border journalism collaboration was made possible with a grant from MediaNet International Centre for Journalism and TechCamp. Students will also receive a certificate of completion after going through the 6-part course, which is available in English, Russian and Kazakh.
“We are living in the age of digital information and fake news is everywhere. In that case this course is very important for the students who are starting to learn how to check the [accuracy of] information, and then help others avoid false information,” says Karlyga Myssayeva, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Journalism at KazNU. “I appreciated very much In Old News, MediaNet and TechCamp for giving us the great opportunity. I enjoyed working with Manon and Sanshey. And good luck for our joint new online course.”
Watch this trailer for more details:
We’ve crafted this course to cover everything from applying critical thinking to spot and debunk false information, to revealing the patterns of disinformation with prebunking techniques. The course includes innovative examples from around the world.
Students will learn to conceptualise and create their own videos that will be ready for publishing on TikTok, Reels, Shorts or other platforms. This course has something for people at any level of their fact checking journey. No previous video making experience or fact checking experience is required for this course. And even if you are well-versed with fact-checking methods, this course will help you think of new ways to disseminate fact checking reports.
This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more journalism courses.