From EMJ to FactSpace West Africa: A Fact-Checking Internship in Ghana
In this EMJ Student Spotlight, we bring you the story of Lara Zofio, a current Mundus Journalism student who chose the second-semester Practice Track internship, and spent her time at FactSpace West Africa, a fact-checking outlet in Ghana founded by fellow EMJ alumnus Rabiu. She spent six weeks reporting, fact-checking, and navigating a media landscape shaped by partisanship, disinformation, and a slower, less transparent public administration.
Shreya: What brought you to Ghana? How did you first hear about this internship opportunity, and how did that conversation unfold?
Lara: It was thanks to the wonderful Bettina, our programme coordinator. I had a meeting with her regarding an event organized by our previous cohort, and during the chit chat I mentioned I was interested in doing an internship in fact-checking. She mentioned that an alumnus from the master's (Rabiu) had founded a fact-checking media outlet in Ghana. So I reached out to him and proposed the collaboration, and he was keen on having an intern. The rest is history.
Shreya: What does your day-to-day work look like at the organisation? What kinds of stories or projects have you been working on?
Lara: First thing in the morning, I had some time to organize my tasks. Then, at 8:30am, I had a meeting with my colleagues to discuss pending tasks and update them on how my work was going. After that, I wrote fact-checking articles, explanatory analysis pieces, and video scripts for social media about the articles themselves and my experience there. I also spoke on a couple of the radio programs they host. Apart from this, I attended a number of events and meetings.
Shreya: What has been the most unexpected part of the internship, something you didn't anticipate before arriving?
Lara: Perhaps the fact that the area around the newsroom was very rural. It wasn't paved, and there was no public transport I could take, only cars. Getting there meant a bumpy road full of plants and animals.
Shreya: Has the EMJ programme prepared you for this in ways you expected? Are there gaps you've had to fill on the spot?
Lara: The programme prepared me in three ways: first, it sharpened my analytical thinking and research tools, which I used to conduct my research. Second, it gave me the theoretical background I needed to make a cross-border comparison of the media systems in Ghana and Spain, which I used to produce a report for internal use in the newsroom. Third, it expanded my ability to collaborate in an international, English-speaking environment.
Shreya: What has it been like navigating journalism and fact-checking in Ghana as an outsider?
Lara: It has been very interesting. I could confirm that journalism there faces the same challenges as in the Western world: a funding crisis, labor encroachment by influencers and content creators, threats to journalists, disinformation. Even the disinformation narratives, broadly speaking, are very similar: blaming poverty on a "lack of effort," targeting immigrants, spreading false information about politicians to discredit them. But it was also interesting to see the differences: in Ghana, the media is far more partisan and dependent on politicians, there's greater risk involved in investigative journalism, and public administration is slower and less efficient, which makes fact-checking more difficult.
Shreya: Fact-checking and misinformation play out very differently across contexts. What does that look like in Ghana specifically? What are the pressures or challenges journalists face there?
Lara: In Ghana, hoaxes focus more on the country itself, whereas in Spain there's a greater abundance of hoaxes related to other countries. Fact-checking there is also more focused on politics, whether by checking politicians directly or checking online information about them. Government and public administration are less transparent, slower, and less efficient, which makes fact-checking more difficult. Access to experts is harder to come by, and the safety risks are higher.
Shreya: The EMJ programme is built around cross-border journalism. How has this experience shifted or sharpened what that means to you in practice?
Lara: During my work, I was more inclined to seek out international expert collaboration than my peers were. I was also already used to consulting online sources from foreign countries, and to collaborating with co-workers and peers from different cultures, as I had during the master's, which helped me adapt to their idiosyncrasies.
Shreya: What would you tell an EMJ student considering reaching out to alumni for opportunities like this? How do you make the ask, and what do you get out of it beyond the formal internship?
Lara: I would absolutely recommend it. It's a very enriching experience: first, because you learn about a new culture and journalistic system; but also because it pushes you to adapt and be resolute, which makes you a more well-rounded professional. My advice on making the ask: be polite, explain the internship, and mention why you're interested in that particular outlet.
Shreya: What do you want to do with this experience when you leave Ghana?
Lara: This will go on my list of professional achievements, as proof that I'm resolute and can adapt easily, especially in challenging environments. Personally, I'll keep the friends, professional contacts, and lovely memories.
