2026 Africa Check Fellowship Programme, Dakar, Senegal

Across Africa, citizens make important decisions every day based on the information they consume, whether related to public health, governance, elections, business, or social issues. Yet the growing spread of misinformation and disinformation continues to undermine informed decision-making, public trust, and democratic accountability. In Francophone Africa, where fact-checking initiatives remain relatively young and often under-resourced, investing in journalistic skills and verification expertise is essential.

It is against this backdrop that KAS Media Africa continued its longstanding partnership with Africa Check to support the seventh edition of the Francophone Fact-Checking Fellowship Programme, hosted in Dakar, Senegal, from 17 August to 2 September 2026. Building on the success of previous fellowship cohorts, the programme provided five selected journalists with the opportunity to strengthen their fact-checking knowledge through a combination of training sessions, practical exercises, mentorship, and collaborative learning.

Since its inception, the partnership between Africa Check and KAS has contributed significantly to strengthening fact-checking capacity across the continent. Previous fellowship cohorts have helped establish and strengthen fact-checking organisations, improved newsroom standards, and supported journalists who have gone on to receive continental recognition for their work. By equipping a new cohort of journalists with practical verification skills and fostering a network of practitioners across Francophone Africa, the 2026 fellowship continues this important legacy.