The United Nation Development Program (UNDP) in Beirut launched in partnership with the Dawaer foundation a training program to combat fake news and hate speech in Lebanon.
Fifty young journalists participated in this intense journey to become able to detect fake news over social media platforms and investigate its origin in order to correct it. The trainees have been taught professional tools to use in their daily lives and careers.
Recently, five of the trainees came up with a fact-checking network called “Sawab” which means “the right (news)”. The team would surf the internet for local spread fake news and work on verifying the source and publishing the right version of the story.
Combining awareness of fake news and hate speech, the rest of the journalists worked with director and writer Hisham Khaddaj on a full script for an interactive theater play.
The play, named Uncle Shawki Lounge, touches on how people in Lebanon tend to spread news whether it’s right and verified or not.
The play is now showing in multiple Lebanese regions from north to south.
The interactive theater play Uncle Shawki Lounge has made its way to Monot theater in Ashrafieh, and it will be shown next Tuesday, September 20th at 7:00 P.M. Find the invitation below:
The following is the first teaser of the campaign Count To Ten, urging people to count to ten before sharing any news they receive.
