Journalist launches fact-checking platform, ‘Alkalanci’, in Hausa

An international multimedia bilingual journalist, Alhassan Bala, has launched a Hausa fact-checking platform christened ‘Alkalanci’ (The Arbiter).

The platform focuses primarily on fact-checking claims on health, politics, and many other topics in the Hausa language.

The journalist revealed that it will also be fact-checking pictures and videos to enlighten the Hausa readers in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and beyond about misleading claims or false pictures and videos.

He said that the initiative is crucial now more than ever, given the widespread use of photo editing software and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create deceptive ‘deepfake’ images and videos.

“We looked at the digital space and realised how misinformation and disinformation are gaining ground among Hausa digital platform users.

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“There are also many myths and false claims on health matters that a number of people believe with utmost belief.

“This is why it is important for us to provide a platform that will enlighten the Hausa readers,” Bala said in a statement on Sunday.

The statement continued: “We at ‘Alkalanci’ would be providing media literacy so that people will know how to protect themselves from getting trapped by misinformation, disinformation, or false claims, pictures, and videos.”

Bala is currently a stringer with Voice of America (VOA) Hausa and English services with decades of journalism experience.