A recent ideathon in Addis Ababa has produced promising new strategies to combat the spread of disinformation organized by Africa Check and Inform Africa and supported by Meta, the ideathon brought together a diverse group of experts, innovators, and representatives from local and international organizations such as UNESCO and Addis Ababa University.

Helen Yosef(Left), Public Policy Manager at Meta addressing the room why innovative ideas are need and Lee Mwiti(Right), Chief Editor at Africa Check, discussing the use of AI technologies to counter disinformation.
The event took place at Haile Grand Hotel on December 3, 2024, fostering a collaborative atmosphere for addressing the challenges of disinformation.
The day began with an introduction from representatives of Africa Check and Inform Africa, who outlined the event’s structure and welcomed innovative ideas to enhance effective strategies and address existing challenges. Helen Yosef, Public Policy Manager at Meta, emphasized her organization’s commitment to creating a safer and more trustworthy online environment for users.
During the session, Kirubel Tesfaye, a lead fact-checker at Inform Africa, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the current disinformation landscape in Ethiopia. His talk highlighted active disinformation campaigns impacting the media and reviewed legislative efforts to counter disinformation and hate speech. Kirubel also discussed the challenges of local fact-checking initiatives and the global strategies essential for combating these pervasive issues.
Lee Mwiti, Chief Editor at Africa Check, briefly overviewed their organization’s journey with artificial intelligence(AI). He detailed the challenges faced in developing AI strategies, including limited resources and a scarcity of actionable data. Mwiti also highlighted innovative approaches by various fact-checking initiatives, such as Debunk Media’s health chatbot, Dubawa Facts’ AI radio tool in Nigeria and Ghana, and the initiatives undertaken by Code for Africa (Pesa Check).
The ideathon saw the presentation of nine innovative ideas, with guest judges selecting three winning projects that demonstrated a range of creative solutions. Meraol Alemayehu from Inform Africa impressed the judges with an AI-powered system designed to detect and flag potentially misleading information online, taking first place. Alexander Melese from Digital Rogue Society claimed second with a mobile puzzle escape room that teaches users how to fact-check and debunk claims, granting them a way to exit the game once they solve the puzzle. Third place went to Melkamsew Solomon from the Ethiopian Media Women Association (EMWA), who proposed a gender-focused strategy to empower women and girls in tracking women’s inclusion in reporting and newsrooms.

Meraol Alemayehu, Alexander Melese, and Melkamsew Solomon, winners of the ideathon, receive their awards from the judges.
The judges commended the high caliber of all submissions, highlighting the participants’ creativity and dedication. The organizers emphasized the critical need for collaborative efforts to build a more resilient information ecosystem. This ideathon is seen as a significant step towards fostering media literacy and enhancing critical thinking skills across the community.