As part of the Journalist’s Day commemoration, the Communications Office team at the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) participated in a training session aimed at strengthening their skills in response to the current challenges of the information profession.
The activity was led by speaker José Felipe Sarmiento, a journalist and Master’s graduate in Peace Studies, who currently serves as director of Colombiacheck, a media outlet of the Consejo de Redacción, with which he has been affiliated since 2018. Sarmiento is also a university lecturer and workshop facilitator, and he previously worked as a correspondent for El Tiempo in Manizales.
An Academic Space to Confront Disinformation
The lecture, titled “Fake News, Journalism in Overtime,” was held in the computer and technology room of the Scientific Complex for Research in Health and Life Sciences at the UIS Faculty of Health. The session was designed to strengthen professional skills and competencies in identifying, analyzing, and detecting potential cases of disinformation (fact-checking).
Throughout the session, the expert emphasized the need to reinforce data verification as a permanent practice in newsrooms, especially in a digital environment where disinformation spreads rapidly and can significantly impact public opinion.
Verification: A Decisive Move for Contemporary Journalism
Under the slogan, “Lies travel faster than news. Verification is no longer an option: it is a decisive move,” the training encouraged institutional communicators to embrace fact-checking not only as a technical tool but also as an ethical commitment to truth and the social responsibility of journalism.
Through initiatives like this, UIS reaffirms its commitment to the continuous professional development of its communications team, promoting rigorous, timely reporting aligned with the challenges of today’s digital landscape.
