Franco-Congolese journalist Dominique Tchimbakala was the guest of France 24's Journal de l'Afrique to discuss the fight against disinformation on the continent, in connection with her essay "Le virus invisible. Essai sur la désinformation en Afrique", published by éditions Riveneuve.
In the book, she examines how disinformation works and what it does to African societies. Social networks across Africa have turned into a space where rumours, political manipulation and coordinated false-information campaigns travel, according to France 24, and artificial intelligence is pushing the problem into a new dimension.
Speaking with Fatimata Wane, Tchimbakala addresses the responsibilities of both local and foreign players, the distrust the public directs at the media, and possible remedies that would help people spot fake content. The conversation also covers how to check information before passing it on, what schools, journalists and ordinary citizens can each do, and how disinformation can be countered without putting freedom of expression at risk.