Read all our COVID-19 coverage 

Welcome to the latest episode of the Into Africa podcast created in partnership with African Arguments. Into Africa is a fortnightly podcast series by the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Every third episode is put together in collaboration with African Arguments.

This episode, featuring African Arguments contributor Antonio Zappulla, asks:

How do we separate fact from fiction? What is the best way to tackle misinformation about the virus? In our seventh episode with African Arguments, Ambassador Dawn Liberi (Former U.S. Ambassador to Burundi), Lee Mwiti (Africa Check), and Antonio Zappulla (Thomson Reuters Foundation) join host Judd Devermont to discuss the rapid spread of misinformation in Africa and the dangerous implications of government crackdowns on the press during the pandemic. Guests also examine Burundi’s turbulent transition following the death of President Nkurunziza and Kenya’s faltering economy. A note to our listeners: this episode was recorded on June 12th and some of the fast-moving developments in Burundi may not be reflected in the episode.

Background Reading:

• The other COVID-19 pandemic: Fake news – African Arguments
• Kenya Tops Angola as Sub-Saharan Africa’s No. 3 Economy – Bloomberg
• 3 African leaders: The smart step to fight the virus – CNN
• Egypt forces Guardian journalist to leave after coronavirus story – The Guardian
• FACTSHEET: Coronavirus and the Covid-19 outbreak – Africa Check
• What’s Crap on WhatsApp? – Africa Check and others
• I cry, not for Nkurunziza, but for the lives he broke – African Arguments
• Burundi: Can newly-elected President Ndayishimiye deliver change? – African Arguments