The African Fact-checking Awards was Launched in 2014 and it is the only awards that each year honour journalism by Africa-based media in the growing field of fact-checking.
The awards continue to grow. In 2018, they received over 150 entries from more than 20 countries, from Ethiopia and Nigeria to Egypt, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Table of Contents
These are the categories for African Fact-checking Awards 2019.
-
Fact-check of the year by a working journalist
-
Fact-check of the year by a student
-
One runner-up in each of the two categories above.
Entries Requirements for African Fact-checking Awards 2019
Entries must have been published or broadcast between 1 September 2018 – 30 June 2019. They should have exposed as misleading or wrong a claim on an important topic made by a public figure or institution in Africa.
The winner of the awards for the best fact-checking report by a working journalist will get a prize of $2,000, while the runner-up will be awarded $1,000. The winner of the award for best fact-checking report by a student journalist will get a prize of $1,000, and the runner-up $500.
Criteria
- 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 between 1 September 2018 and 30 June 2019, by a media house 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 1 September 2018 and 30 June 2019. The entry must be an original piece of fact-checking journalism, produced as course work or first published or broadcast between 1 September 2018 and 30 June 2019, in a blog, student publication or by a media house 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.
The judging process
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.
Entries close at midnight GMT on 30 June 2019. The shortlist will be unveiled in mid-September 2019 – do be on the lookout
To register, click here