For Facts' Sake

Across the world, and in South Africa, the anti-journalism tool SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) is also being used against activists and artists. Despite new forms of SLAPP – prior restraints, protection orders and even super injunctions – the media keeps fighting back. And they keep winning. We speak to Kuhle Mavuso, a senior associate at South African law firm Webber Wentzel about the use of litigation to silence critical voices.

Social media platforms are often cesspits of racism, misogyny, ultra-nationalism, xenophobia, fascism and all sorts of other extremisms. But sometimes tech savvy users subvert them for greater good. In this episode we look at two such examples from the Global South: the recent cockroach uprising in India and a hackathon in response to the rising xenophobia in South Africa. Host:  Charles Leonard   Guests:  1. Joyojeet Pal 2. Yossabel Chetty   Producer: Charles Leonard

South Africa is experiencing a resurgence of xenophobic violence. In this episode we discuss how a coordinated, sophisticated online campaign, built over more than six years, has helped fuel anti-immigrant sentiment and become a driving force behind the current wave of attacks. Guests:  1. Nosipho Mngomezulu - University of the Witwatersrand 2. Noor Nieftagodien - University of the Witwatersrand 3. Kyle Findlay - Murmur Intelligence Host: Tebadi Mmotla Producer: Charles Leonard

As South Africa prepares for the November 4 local elections, the country faces a digital storm of misinformation and disinformation spreading online. In this episode, featuring CINIA Communications Practitioner Janet Heard, we look at how you need to get yourself a very sophisticated BS detector. Stay up to date through CINIA's Elections Observatory: https://cinia.africa/publications/elections-observatory/ Host: Tebadi Mmotla Producer: Charles Leonard

South African journalists are enthusiastically using AI tools in their work. A groundbreaking new CINIA report has revealed that while AI is offering significant efficiencies in newsrooms, it also raises urgent concerns about training, ethics and trust. In this episode we delve into why adoption remains uneven and largely informal, and also ask if AI in newsrooms is just a generational issue. Explore the topic in more detail: https://cinia.africa/new-study-finds-south-african-newsrooms-rapidly-adopting-ai-but-without-adequate-training-policy-or-local-tools/ Host & Producer: Charles Leonard. Guests: Nande Mbekela; Cat White; Sipho Kings.