Dubawa Elections Fact-Checking and Verification Training Program – Gambia

Deadline: 22-Sep-2026

Dubawa is inviting journalists, bloggers, content creators, and communication professionals in The Gambia to apply for an intensive training program focused on elections fact-checking, digital verification, and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). The program is designed to strengthen media accountability and help participants identify and respond to electoral misinformation, disinformation, and political propaganda ahead of the 2026 presidential elections.

About the Dubawa Elections Fact-Checking Training Program

Dubawa, the flagship fact-checking initiative of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), is launching a targeted capacity-building program in The Gambia. The initiative comes as The Gambia prepares for its 2026 presidential elections, when misinformation, disinformation, and political propaganda can create significant challenges for democratic integrity and public trust. The training aims to equip media and communication professionals with practical skills for verifying information and reporting accurately in an electoral environment. What Will the Training Cover? The intensive program will provide participants with advanced fact-checking methodologies, digital verification tools, and OSINT skills tailored to the electoral context.

The curriculum will cover:

- Information disorder and the electoral information ecosystem. - Conflict-sensitive journalism. - Geolocation and digital verification. - Deepfake detection. - Synthetic media analysis. - Practical digital verification toolkits. - Advanced fact-checking methodologies. - Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) skills. These skills are intended to help participants assess information more effectively and identify potentially misleading or manipulated electoral content. Why Is the Training Important? The 2026 presidential elections create a need for stronger information verification and responsible reporting. Electoral misinformation, disinformation, and political propaganda can affect public trust and democratic processes. By strengthening the verification skills of journalists, bloggers, content creators, and communication officers, the program aims to improve the quality and reliability of information available to the public. The training also emphasizes conflict-sensitive journalism and practical verification techniques relevant to the electoral environment. Who Can Apply? The program is open to individuals who are resident in The Gambia.

Eligible participants include:

- Full-time journalists. - Freelance journalists. - Bloggers. - Content creators. - Public relations officers within parastatal institutions. - Communication officers within parastatal institutions. - Communication professionals working with electoral stakeholder agencies. Applicants should have a professional or practical connection to journalism, media, communication, public relations, or electoral information. Support From Dubawa Experts Selected participants will receive direct guidance from Dubawa’s expert fact-checkers and media analysts. The support will extend across the electoral period, with guidance provided: - Before the 2026 presidential elections. - During the 2026 presidential elections. - After the 2026 presidential elections. This ongoing guidance is designed to help participants apply the skills and verification methods covered through the training. Focus on Digital Verification and OSINT A key component of the program is practical digital verification. Participants will develop skills in areas such as geolocation, deepfake detection, synthetic media analysis, and OSINT. These techniques can help media and communication professionals investigate digital content and assess the authenticity and context of information circulating during elections. Focus on Conflict-Sensitive Journalism The curriculum also includes conflict-sensitive journalism. This component is particularly relevant in an electoral environment where inaccurate, inflammatory, or unverified information can contribute to tension. Participants will learn approaches designed to support responsible and accurate reporting. How the Training Supports Media Accountability The program seeks to strengthen media accountability by giving professionals the tools needed to verify information before publishing or sharing it. By improving fact-checking and digital verification capabilities, the initiative can help participants contribute to a more reliable information environment during the 2026 presidential elections. Key Facts About the Dubawa Training Program

- Program: Elections Fact-Checking and Digital Verification Training

- Organizer: Dubawa

- Parent organization: Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)

- Location: The Gambia

- Focus: Election fact-checking and digital verification

- Election context: 2026 presidential elections

- Eligible applicants: Individuals resident in The Gambia

- Participants: Journalists, bloggers, content creators, public relations and communication officers

- Institutional participants: Parastatal institutions and electoral stakeholder agencies

- Key skills: Fact-checking, OSINT, digital verification, geolocation, deepfake detection and synthetic media analysis

- Additional focus: Conflict-sensitive journalism and information disorder

- Expert support: Dubawa fact-checkers and media analysts

- Support period: Before, during, and after the 2026 presidential elections

Frequently Asked Questions About the Dubawa Elections Fact-Checking Training What is the Dubawa Elections Fact-Checking Training Program? It is an intensive capacity-building program designed to strengthen elections fact-checking, digital verification, and OSINT skills among media and communication professionals in The Gambia. Who is organizing the training? The program is being launched by Dubawa, the flagship fact-checking initiative of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). Who can apply for the program? Individuals reside