Libyan Journalists Trained in Fact-Checking to Counter Digital Misinformation

Thirty Libyan journalists, media professors, students, and fact-checkers participated in a UNSMIL-backed online training session on Thursday aimed at strengthening their skills in digital research and verification. The training forms part of the UN Support Mission in Libya’s Basirah professional development programme, which is designed to build resilience within Libya’s media sector against the growing challenge of misinformation and disinformation.

Training Tools and Methods

The workshop, conducted via Zoom, was facilitated by Pamela Kesrouani from the Google News Initiative. Participants were introduced to a suite of tools, including:

• Google Fact Check Explorer for verifying news stories.

• Reverse image search to identify manipulated or recycled images.

• Google Maps and Google Earth to confirm the locations of images and videos.

• Fact-checking panels on YouTube to detect misleading or false video content.

“These tools don’t do the work for me,” Kesrouani cautioned. “They just help me. It remains essential for us to check a picture or a news story ourselves before presenting it to the public.”

Rising Global Threat of Misinformation

Kesrouani highlighted the increasing dangers of manipulated content, particularly in the digital age where social media is a primary source of news. She referenced a Pew Research Center study showing that misinformation on the Internet is now perceived globally as the second biggest threat after climate change.

“Manipulating photos or video — whether by changing context or altering content with artificial intelligence — has become common during wars and natural disasters,” she noted. “Sometimes even the largest media outlets have used pictures in the wrong context.”

Challenges for Libyan Media

For Libyan journalists and media professionals, these risks are particularly acute. Local media often struggles with:

• Limited access to original sources.

• Abundance of rumours and manipulated content.

• Weak transparency and accountability structures.

• Rapidly shifting political and security dynamics.

Participants expressed concern that unchecked misinformation can exacerbate divisions, inflame tensions, and even incite violence in Libya’s fragile security context.

Voices from the Training

For many participants, the session underscored just how difficult fact-checking has become in the age of artificial intelligence-generated content.

“It’s becoming really hard to tell, even for someone who has worked with Photoshop, who knows how AI operates and has had fact-checking training,” said Mahmoud Mukhtar, a fact-checker from Tripoli. “Even using AI to detect AI use is limited in its efficacy.”

Others left the training more empowered. Suad Kashlout, a journalist from Zliten, said she felt more confident in her ability to identify misleading content:

“I feel more confident in detecting misinformation after this session because I learnt step-by-step methods to check content. I now know how to identify red flags more effectively.”

Building a More Resilient Media Sector

Participants agreed that fact-checking and verification training are essential in Libya’s current environment, where false information spreads quickly online and can have real-world consequences. The skills gained — from cross-checking sources to assessing credibility and spotting bias — will help strengthen professional journalism and improve public trust in the media.

UNSMIL officials emphasized that this training is part of a broader effort to professionalize Libya’s media sector, safeguard democratic dialogue, and counter the dangers of digital misinformation.

As misinformation becomes increasingly sophisticated, such training initiatives are expected to play a vital role in building media resilience, protecting information integrity, and supporting stability in Libya.