Workshop on role of women journalists in countering misinformation and disinformation concludes

Our Correspondent
Kolkata, Aug. 12 (EMN): Workshop on ‘role of women journalists in countering misinformation and disinformation in the Indo-Pacific region’ for mid-career women journalists and women media professionals from US, India and the Indo-Pacific region, culminated at the American Centre in Kolkata on Friday.

Brooke Van Dam, Director of SeeBoundless, and Steve Johnson, founder of SeeBoundless, USA, took sessions on visual tools for fighting misinformation and disinformation.

The speakers highlighted the visual tools available to aid in the pursuit of truth telling and trained the participants on how to use 360 cameras to tell stories and other basic online tools that can help fact check and ensure getting a story right.

Fact-checker, Boom Live, Divya Chandra, spoke on how media professionals can use tools available online for fact-checking viral images and videos, debunk claims beyond the scope of those tools, along with some fact-checking tips and resources.

A panel discussion on challenges to network building and cross-border information sharing among journalists was conducted. It stressed on the need to ensure a free flow of information across borders in the context of a globalised world. 

Photojournalist and TED Fellow, Smita Sharma conducted a session on ‘photojournalism and manufactured bias’.

Director of American Centre, Adrian Patt, urged participants to collaborate, help each other and have each other’s back in the days to come.

The two-day workshop was hosted by the US Consulate General, Kolkata, in partnership with Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) with the support of South Asian Women in Media (SAWM) and East West Center (EWC).