In June 30-July 01, API conducted the News Editing training which managed by the trainer Mohamad Zaid Mastou. 12 participants attended the first day.
In July 07-08, API conducted the News Verification training which managed by the trainer Abd Alrahman Jaloud. 09 participants attended the first day.
The open source investigation workshop was designed to provide participants with in-depth techniques, tools and skills, with case studies and practical examples focused on topics including conflict, crime, corruption, and fake information.
The 3-day workshop included hands-on sessions and collaborative exercises to understand how to collect, verify, and preserve user generated content in order to use it for reporting and investigations. The workshop provided a focused set of skills such as verifying the time and location of photographic/video evidence, locating satellite images of particular events when searching across multiple providers, verifying information published online during critical events and conflicts, collect and preserve information securely and familiarity with crowdsourced verification platforms.
Challenges:
Challenge 1: Almost 50% of the trainees where calling every day of training in Syria to apologize for not being able to attend the trainings which were conducted in Iradati education center in Atmeh near Turkish border because of security reasons.
Solution 1: API trainers agreed with the trainees to be required one day in the training center and the second day of each training online from their home. That helped to make more participants to attend as it showed in the attendee’s number.
Challenge 2: API was not able to accept girls in Syria trainings, because of military militia who refused to mix between males and females in the same class in their controlling area.
Solution 2: API has decided to accept 70% females in Turkey trainings classes. Unfortunately, from 14 females of 24 total accepted participants, only 9 females attended the first training which made only 50%.
API is intending to accept more females in Istanbul trainings which is planned in the end of this month.
