AAOSI unleashes media warriors against disinformation

The African Academy for Open Source Investigation is fostering a continental network of OSINT investigators

The African Academy for Open Source Investigation (AAOSI), an initiative addressing disinformation and propaganda, seeks to empower investigative media in select African countries, providing training and resources to combat information manipulation and promote credible information.

The initiative will particularly target media houses and watchdog NGOs in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal.

The programme is supported by the US State Department and is led by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), with collaboration from various organisations, including Code for Africa’s CivicSignal AI/machine-learning team, the iLAB forensic research team, the PesaCheck fact-checking team, and the Cardiff University Crime and Security Research Institute (CSRI) in the UK. To date, AAOSI fellows have exposed extremist networks, the coordinated trolling of women leaders, and a wide range of geopolitical influence operations across Africa.

The AAOSI initiative includes training, mentorships, and fellowships for journalists and think tank researchers. Participants learn to use advanced social listening and media monitoring tools to detect questionable content, employ network analysis and data analysis tools for data-driven investigative reporting, draft compelling data-based reports, expose information manipulation, and engage with audiences effectively. Additionally, digital security training and tools are provided to enhance digital hygiene practices.

Goals

• Equip investigative media and watchdog NGOs with open-source intelligence (OSINT) skills and tools to enhance their investigations related to information manipulation.
• Help newsrooms and watchdog NGOs reach wider audiences and engage the public in data-driven discussions on critical issues.
• Foster a strong pan-African network of OSINT investigators who can collaborate on transnational investigations and work with peers globally to uncover influence operations and information manipulation.

The AAOSI initiative is a collaborative effort to empower media and NGOs in African countries to combat disinformation and propaganda through training and resources, aiming to strengthen information integrity and foster collaboration among investigators in the region.

This article was written by iLAB managing editor Athandiwe Saba and edited by iLAB copy editor Theresa Mallinson.