The Center of Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, has taken a significant stride towards bolstering independent and unbiased reporting in Pakistan’s media landscape. Their latest venture, iVerify, is a non-partisan fact-checking initiative that aims to address the escalating challenge of misinformation ahead of the General Elections in 2024.
The launch ceremony of iVerify, held at Serena Hotel, Islamabad, witnessed Amber Rahim Shamsi, Director CEJ-IBA, emphasizing the tool’s pivotal role in fostering transparent and verifiable news reporting and investigative methodologies. Shamsi highlighted the surge of misinformation across both digital and traditional media platforms, underlining iVerify’s establishment as a cornerstone for reliable, non-partisan journalism in Pakistan.
At present, iVerify stands out as one of the few robust verification tools available to journalists in the country. The tool places a strong emphasis on eliminating bias, authenticating facts, and subjecting news articles to manual examination. Notably, iVerify holds international accreditation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and has been successfully implemented in various countries globally.
Journalists and media professionals can utilize iVerify by submitting their stories through the dedicated portal on the CEJ-IBA website. The verification process involves a meticulous, multi-pronged approach, incorporating data-driven and language-based evaluations to ensure accuracy in factual representation and contextualization.
Following the launch, a panel discussion ensued featuring senior media professionals such as Mansoor Ali Khan, Zahrah Mazhar, Farhad Jarral, Absa Komal, Umer Cheema, and Nizam Salarzai. The panel delved into the utility of a fact-checking tool in a high-stakes journalism environment, particularly pertinent as the upcoming general elections approach. The consensus among the panelists was that iVerify is poised to play a critical role in mitigating the spread of misinformation, fostering responsible and careful journalism within potentially volatile newsrooms.
About CEJ-IBA:
Established in 2014, the CEJ aims to elevate journalism standards through training workshops, fellowships, awards, and a graduate program in journalism. With a network of over four thousand journalists across Pakistan, the CEJ serves as a unique platform at the intersection of academia and the journalism industry. iVerify, a flagship initiative of CEJ-IBA, is dedicated to empowering voters with verified and reliable information, thereby promoting a transparent electoral process and a well-informed electorate. In an era where misinformation can have profound consequences on democratic trust and stability, iVerify is committed to upholding accuracy, transparency, and integrity in elections.
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