Combating Online Hate: Journalists Get Empowered

T he capacity-building works­ hop held on July 23, in Yaounde focused on the ethi­ cal deployment of Artificial Intelli­ gence (AI) tools to counter online disinformation while fostering peace. Expert facilitators, including Amindeh Blaise and Denick Kinang, during the practical session orga­ nized by Civic Watch Association, guided media practitioners through practical workflows, verification techniques, and strategies for de­ tecting synthetic disinformation campaigns. Emphasizing the urgent necessity of upholding journalistic integrity amid rapid technological shifts, Nange Mbehni, Project Coordinator for the initiative, stated that "Our goal is to humanize the digital space." She added that "As AI tech­ nologies advance, we must equip journalists with the skills to verify information responsibly, ensuring that technology serves as a shield against hate speech rather than an accelerator for harmful narra­ tives."...