To foster dialogue on disinformation and restore trust in the press, Red Arubiano di Prensa Profesional (RAPP) organized its second seminar, ‘Rebuilding Trust in Caribbean Media’, focusing on public engagement, fact-checking, and mitigating digital threats.
The Caribbean Journalism Seminar, held on Thursday, September 26, at Impact Hub Aruba, reflected today’s Caribbean reality, where disinformation spreads rapidly and undermines public confidence in the news. Through presentations and open dialogue, RAPP called on journalists to work together to strengthen transparency, ethics, and connection with the community.
Speakers included international and local experts:
Rosario Marina (Chequeado, Argentina): Demonstrated how fact-checking is a vital tool to combat disinformation in the region and how to integrate verification into newsroom workflows.
Vincent Smit (1Almere, Netherlands): Shared editorial innovations and community journalism approaches that foster genuine interaction with local audiences and help rebuild trust.
Paul Eelens (Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, Aruba): Explained the link between disinformation and cybersecurity, and how digital threats can erode confidence in the exchange of information.
Journalists and attendees actively participated with questions and discussion, underscoring the importance of addressing the twin issues of trust and disinformation.
Special thanks to the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) for making this seminar possible.
What’s next in 2025
Public Series: ‘Information Under Pressure’ – a series of public dialogues giving the community a voice on disinformation, on October 16, 23, and 28 at the University of Aruba.
Digital Bootcamp for Journalists – an intensive workshop on digital content creation and the use of AI, October 20–26, 2025, at the JFK Education Center.
An open invitation goes out to Aruba’s journalism community: if you are not yet on our contact list, please email us to receive more information about RAPP and how to become a member: rapp.aruba@gmail.com.
