Online press contribution to fight fake news related to COVID-19 in Ivory Coast : the case of the ivoirecovid19check.com project

Abstract

The almost unexpected onset of the coronavirus-Covid-19 pandemic at the end of 2019 and its meteoric spread during the first quarter of 2020 left the whole world helpless and almost without a solution ; both in its socio-political, cultural, medical and scientific components. This situation, which has weakened the socio-economic appeal of many countries, has also  paved the way for abuses that, instead of mitigating the health crisis, tended to exacerbate and dramatize it. Among these abuses are the fake news that found in this pandemic a breeding ground to sow and distil incorrect or fabricated information. In this unprecedented context, initiatives have been taken by social actors in order to provide the appropriate risposte. It was in this context that was born ivoirecovid19check.com, a project of the network of online press professionals in Ivory Coast (REPPRELCI). Our article presents the ins and outs of this innovative project and its operating procedure. It shows its strengths and limitations and recommends solutions for its improvement.