Somali Journalists Launch ‘Disinformation Lab’ to Combat Spread of Fake News

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA - The Federation of Somali Journalists has launched a campaign to combat the spread of false information, fake news, hate speech and propaganda. The federation says Somalia is already seeing a huge spike in social media misinformation campaigns ahead of elections expected before the end of July.

The country’s chronic internal conflict and political instability has made Somalia a fertile ground for the spread of misinformation. The growing number of young Somalis who connect and share news on social media platforms has become a prime target for this tide of fake news. One example is a news headline that said the Somali Parliament wanted to oust the prime minister after he objected to a term extension for President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. It later turned out to be fake news.