Students at Gujarat University’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication learned the art of fact-checking on Monday.
The training was provided by Jagran New Media’s fact-checking website, Vishvas News, as part of the ‘Sach Ke Sathi-FactsUp’ campaign. During the training, Rajesh Upadhyay, Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Jagran New Media, and Executive Editor Jatin Gandhi were present.
Rajesh Upadhyay taught the students how to distinguish between fake and real news and how to spot it. Aside from that, he went into great detail about Vishvas News’ ‘Sach Ke Sathi Abhiyan.’ Jatin Gandhi, Executive Editor of Vishvas News, also gave the students the WhatsApp chatbot number 9599299372.
He claims that this number can help reveal the truth about fake posts, videos, and pictures that are going viral on the internet. The programme provided training on fact-checking, digital safety, and voter awareness, as well as tips and online tools for identifying fake news.
The training was given in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad. Apart from hundreds of students, faculty members were also present. Similar events have already been organised in Rajkot and Gandhinagar before Ahmedabad. The next events in Gujarat will be held in Surat on October 19 and Vadodara on October 21.
Vishvas News is training students—youth, women, and senior citizens—in 17 cities across 10 states by connecting them with this campaign. This event is also being organised for participants from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar, in addition to Gujarat.
Register to participate in the campaign. Vishvas News, Jagran New Media’s fact-checking team, has been working continuously for the last four years through this campaign to raise awareness on public interest topics such as health, education, and voting. To join this campaign, visit the Vishvas News website and register based on your city, state, or convenient date.