The Importance of Fact-Checking for Activists and Human Rights Defenders

The first virtual panel of the Intelligence Spotlight series features two distinguished guests from Italy and the UK. Guest speakers bio:Nick Vant is a UK Fact-Checking Producer at Reuters Fact Check – Reuters news agency’s specialised fact-checking unit within its editorial department. He investigates cases of online mis- and disinformation with a focus on UK social media users. Before joining Reuters in mid-2023, Nick worked as a researcher on a range of global and social issues, including misinformation and media consumption habits.Leila Belhadj Mohamed is a freelance geopolitical journalist and board member of Privacy Network. She specialises in migration, human rights, digital rights, and the geopolitics of Africa and Southwest Asia. Leila is also a transfeminist activist, contributing to various podcasts and radio programs to discuss complex social issues. In this panel, both panellists shared their insights as journalists and fact-checker and also some important tips for everyone actively consuming news online.The panel was moderated by Qais Alamdar, founder of Intel Focus and OSINT analyst.