FactCheck Gambia fact-checking team is set up solely for fact-checking and its related activities and is composed of experts who develop fact-checked stories in a structured way, reflecting
the basic tenets of fact-checking.
FactCheck Gambia team is selected based on their ability to conduct comprehensive research on a wide range of topics, use data to provide information, their knowledge of key fact-checking principles, and their ability to apply these principles appropriately to all produced stories.
The head of this team is the editor who approves all stories before publication and commissions any accompanying graphics and visualizations to the story. The editor is responsible for ensuring that verified and fact-checked materials are produced in a timely, cost-efficient and excellent manner.
The assistant editor is responsible for providing the first-level editorial support required for the platform. On a regular basis, the assistant editor reviews and edits all draft fact- checks/articles, checking for quality of evidence, grammatical and evidential errors.
The researchers/writers consist of internal and external men and women who provide quality content for the FactCheck Gambia website, following the laid down rules to facilitate the editing process.
Volunteers: We also have a team of volunteers with varied and diverse expertise who helped us in our fact checking and verification process. If you would like to join our team of expert volunteer fact checkers, send a mail to info@factcheckgambia.org or simply send us a direct message on Twitter @FactcheckGambia.
On Partisanship: While we recognise and acknowledges that it is the constitutional right of every individual to contest for an elective position and support any candidate of their choice running for an elective position, it is our fervent belief that the independence of FactCheck Gambia may be called to question if team members are partisan.
To this end, any team member who wants to contest elections, support/sponsor a candidate in any form either by active campaigning or donating to a campaign fund, shall resign his/her position on the team. FactCheck Gambia team members shall, by all means, remain non-partisan.
Meanwhile, a short biographical profile of our team members is as follows:
Click on photo to view more.
Manager / Administrator
Sang Mendy
Sang Mendy, managing director of the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication (MAJAC), is by default the head of Fact Check Gambia.
Sang holds a BA in Journalism and Digital Media from the University of The Gambia. He also holds an Advanced Diploma in Mass Communication and a Higher Teachers Certificate. Prior to being the manager, he worked as a journalism trainer and a radio producer.
Sang spends his spare time mentoring the young.
Editor
Modou S. Joof
Modou S. Joof is an award-winning freelance journalist with more than 12 years of experience.
Joof is a correspondent for Bloomberg News and a part-time news writing trainer at the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication (MAJaC). He had worked as a managing editor at The Voice Newspaper in The Gambia, and is a former correspondent of the Voice of America (VOA), and Africa in Fact Magazine in South Africa.
Joof completed a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of The Gambia and holds an Advanced Diploma in Journalism from the Gambia Press Union School of Journalism.
Staff Fact Checker
Mustapha K. Darboe
Mustapha K. Darboe is the news editor of Malagen, Gambia’s only investigative journalism platform.
Darboe currently serves as the Banjul correspondent for JusticeInfo.Net and Turkey News Agency.
He established himself one of Gambia’s leading investigative journalists, winning journalist of the year at the annual National Journalism Awards three years running.
He is a passionate blogger and in 2018 he authored an e-book, “Playbook of a Tyrant“, inspired by the 22-year dictatorship under former president Yahya Jammeh.
Staff Fact Checker
Alagie Manneh
Alagie Manneh is a young and multiple award-winning journalist. He is a sub-editor and columnist for the Gambia’s biggest daily, The Standard Newspaper.
Alagie has years of journalism experience, with special focus on in-depth feature articles. He has deep passion for politics, human rights and migration.
Alagie attended and underwent trainings in various journalism programmes in several countries including China and Kenya. He is a member of the Reuters Foundation Alumni.
Freelance Fact Checker
Kaddy Jawo
Kaddy Jawo is a young Gambian Journalist and Blogger. She has been working as a journalist since 2017.
She is currently pursuing an undergraduate Diploma in Journalism at the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication.
She works as a reporter at The Chronicle Media.
Freelance Fact Checker
Muhammed S. Bah
I am Muhammed S. Bah (MS), Assistant Editor at Foroyaa Newspaper. I am an Award-Winning Journalist and Board Member of Activista-The Gambia, a youth advocacy network on human rights and social justice. I co-founded Hopes of Tomorrow (HOT), a youth led movement that educates and advocates for youth and women political participation and also advocate for the respect of human and civil right. I was a 2nd vice president of the Young Journalists Association – The Gambia (YJAG), and a current vice president, Gambia Press Union.
