
NOBAS CHECKERS
INNOVALAB’S ONLINE NEWS PLATFORM
(Guinea bissau)
A youth-led fact-checking platform combating disinformation and debunking fake news about COVID-19.
The site was developed and is managed by Innovalab, with the support of UNDP and UNIOGBIS. The platform brings together a fact-checking community of doctors, journalists, and economists. Nobas means “News” in the native Crioulo language.
There is a lot of information about the new Coronavirus, but not all is correct, contend Nobas Checker organisers. And drawing on the principle that false news ruins lives, promotes hatred, harms people’s health and democracy, they created www.nobaschecker.org, a platform which includes independent verifiers and activists, who together find, expose and fight fake news about COVID-19 to keep their communities informed with safe news.
The contentious false or misleading information (fake news) comes in different forms: from viral postings on social media, comments made by public figures, or even statements and stories made and published by some journalists.
It is vital that everyone receives clear and factual information about COVID 19. In situations like this, it can cause unnecessary fear and – most importantly – lead people to ignore fundamental advice on symptoms or how to avoid infections.