IMAGE: Namibia Fact Check
Questionable claims and statements are already starting to dominate as political rhetoric ramps up ahead of the elections later this year
April 2024 has been marked by political parties and politicians looking to make an impact in the 27 November 2024 parliamentary and presidential elections kicking off their campaigning.
And already the electoral information landscape is being polluted with all sorts of falsehoods and propaganda being uttered and aired.
As of 1 May 2024, Namibia Fact Check will be devoting resources towards monitoring and covering what is happening on the electoral campaign landscape with regard to statements and claims being made.
Namibia Fact Check’s coverage will include pre-bunking potential claims that would or could be made, debunking claims and statements by politicians and others involved in electioneering, analysing election manifestos, providing verified and credible election related information, monitoring social media and monitoring media coverage of the election campaigns.
In order to distinguish our election coverage from our normal fact checking, we have developed and will be using election coverage branding, that includes a coverage logo and graphics that will be used on election related articles and images.
Our election coverage logo looks as follows:
Some of the graphic illustrations we will be using to distinguish our elections coverage are the following:
Along with these coverage elements, we will be making use of the following hashtag on social media: #NamibiaElections2024.
With our elections related coverage Namibia Fact Check aims to contribute to ensuring that election related political mis- and disinformation do not become defining of the outcomes of the November elections. Election related mis- and disinformation have been shown to influence voting choices and undermine democracy around the world.
With just seven months to go to the 27 November parliamentary and presidential elections, Namibians are reminded that facts matter in politics and public policy and are cautioned to be critical of what they might encounter on social media.
At the same time, we urge Namibians not to share information, posts or content that has not been verified.