Derek Willis is a lecturer in data and computational journalism at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Previously, he was a data journalist with a variety of outlets. Through ICFJ programs, he has taught journalists around the world and helped them gain practical skills to further their careers.
In 2018, Dr. Tamilselvi Natarajan came across a video depicting a child kidnapping, which spread widely on WhatsApp in India. In reality, however, the video was actually a public service announcement — not an actual kidnapping. The incident inspired the media educator to pursue training in fact-checking. Through an ICFJ and MediaWise program, she connected with advanced tools to continue to educate students about mis- and disinformation.
For three years, Mariama Danso and her organization, Fact Check Center - The Gambia, have promoted media literacy among young adults to combat mis- and disinformation in the Banjul region of The Gambia. Through ICFJ's media literacy training of trainers, she learned new strategies to reach diverse audiences.
