Maat Concludes First Edition of Citizen Journalism and Countering Misinformation Training for Journalists in Arab Region

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights has held a virtual training on "Citizen Journalism and How to Verify Information" for journalists and media professionals in the Arab region. The training was attended by participants from 9 different countries, including Tunisia, Libya, Iraq, Morocco, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan.

During the training, Maat discussed the importance of citizen journalism and enhancing critical thinking among journalists, which would combat misleading news and provide journalists with tools to help verify information, in the presence of Dr. Miral Sabry, professor in the Department of Media at the American University and director of the Middle East Project at the University of Sheffield in England. .

Commenting on the training, Ayman Okeil, legal expert and Chairman of Maat, stated that rapid technological advancements have changed the ways people interact, communicate, and obtain information around the world. Okeil stressed the importance of verifying information and trying to ensure its accuracy, especially for journalists before publishing, in order to avoid the consequences of publishing incorrect or misleading information. This is the focus of the training provided by Maat for journalists and media professionals in the Arab region.

Marina Sami, Director of Public Relations and Media Unit at Maat, further explained that Maat works to enhance and raise capabilities of journalists and media professionals in how to verify and reveal the facts to confront false and misleading information. This is achieved through the provision of tools and methods that help them verify information.