No fewer than 500 fact-checkers from 80 countries, including Nigeria, are converging in Lithuania for the 13th edition of the GlobalFact Summit, the world’s largest gathering of fact-checking organizations and information integrity experts.
This was stated in a release by Angie Holan, Director of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), the event’s organizer, on Tuesday in Abuja.
The three-day summit, running from June 17 to June 19 in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, will bring together fact-checkers, journalists, researchers, and technology experts to address emerging challenges in the global information ecosystem.
Nigeria is represented by Miss Temilade Onilede, Programme Manager at DUBAWA, the fact-checking arm of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
A major focus of the summit will be managing global information integrity amid growing concerns over misinformation, disinformation, and the impact of emerging technologies on public discourse.
The previous summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
According to Holan, the event is organized by the IFCN at Poynter, in partnership with the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), Baltic digital news network Delfi, and Lithuania’s Radio and Television (LRT).
She said discussions would center on key issues affecting fact-checking and journalism in the digital age.
Holan added that participants would examine the opportunities and risks associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), including AI tools for verification and the challenge of AI-driven misinformation.
She also noted that the summit would explore sustainable funding models for fact-checking organizations while maintaining editorial independence.
Further discussions will focus on strategies for reaching audiences who increasingly consume information through social media, algorithms, and chatbots.
Holan highlighted that investigative journalism would feature prominently, with special sessions led by LRT.
She announced the launch of “GlobalFact Virtual,” a new series of online seminars designed to enable fact-checkers worldwide to collaborate and share insights beyond the summit.
“The initiative will strengthen international cooperation and support efforts to combat misinformation globally,” she said.
