Abu Dhabi: Mark Albert, Founder and CEO of Media Advisory Experts, leveraged his 25 years of journalism experience to deliver an insightful session on the critical importance of fact-checking in today’s disinformation age. He began by highlighting the necessity of asking, ‘Is this true?’, underscoring the essential role of verifying information in combating the proliferation of false narratives.
According to Emirates News Agency, during the session, Fact-Checking in the Disinformation Age, Albert explored what and who to fact-check, emphasizing the need to scrutinize influential sources and viral claims that could spread misinformation widely. He introduced practical tools for verification, such as reverse image search for detecting manipulated visuals and platforms like FlightRadar and mapping tools for confirming geographical and event-related claims. By incorporating diverse resources and cross-referencing multiple credible sources, fact-checking becomes a dynamic and reliable process.
Albert demonstrate
d how leading publications are embedding these techniques into their workflows and how governments are adopting similar strategies to build public trust. Through real-world examples, he showed how these methods expose intentional disinformation and emphasized the importance of multi-source verification to safeguard journalistic integrity. His session highlighted the shared responsibility of governments, creators, and media organizations in fostering a culture of accuracy and trust, equipping attendees with actionable tools to navigate the complexities of misinformation.