Hyderabad, September 2023: Google news initiative organized Poll Check 2023 by Google news initiative led by Data leads at St. Mary’s College, Yousufguda, Hyderabad on 8th September 2023, for all the journalists of Telangana state. The training session was aimed at combating misinformation and effective reportage ahead of the state assembly elections.
Addressing the journalists, Mr. Udumula Sudhakar Reddy, Editor Investigation, Times of India, highlighted the importance of debunking misinformation trends and explained the tools for the same. In line with the ongoing trend of mojo (mobile journalism) Sanshey Biswas and Manon Verchot, Co-founders of ‘In Old News’ trained the journalists on techniques and simple tools in a smart phone for quick and effective election coverage. Rakesh Dubbudu, Founder, Factly & Dataful prepared the participants on impactful dealing of giant election data from various sources. Ravi Raj, Content Partnerships Manager, Youtube addressed the gathering on exploring opportunities through short-form videos on YouTube for election coverage. Bharath Guniganti, Data Analyst, Fact Checker, Factly & GNI-India training Network spoke about the importance of maintaining security of devices and data on digital platforms to ensure digital safety & security during elections.
Speaking to the press, the participants said the day long sessions were engaging and informative for reportage not just for the upcoming elections but also the in the long run.