As journalists face an increasingly complex information environment shaped by disinformation and digital manipulation, the ability to verify information and conduct digital investigations has become a core professional skill. To help prepare the next generation of media professionals for these challenges, the Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL) delivered trainings and workshops on digital investigations, online verification, and fact-checking tools to undergraduate students in journalism and communication programs at leading universities across Israel as part of its “Strengthening Digital Capacities and Information Integrity among Israeli Journalism Students, Scholars and Practitioners” project. The project aims to strengthen media resilience and information integrity through training, pedagogical innovation, and structured dialogue between academic institutions and media professionals. It is supported through a subgrant awarded by Canal France International (CFI) under the European Union-funded programme “Empowering Palestinian and Israeli Civil Societies and Media,” implemented by CFI and Expertise France.
On May 28, 19 communication students from the journalism track at Sapir College participated in a training session led by ISOC-IL’s Disinformation and Digital Investigations Lead, Nitsan Yasur. Feedback from both students and faculty highlighted the workshop’s immediate relevance and practical value. Program Director Ilan Itzhayek described it as “a wonderful professional experience,” noting that students continued discussing and applying the tools after the session. Participants reported gaining skills in advanced search techniques, image verification, geolocation, and identifying AI-generated content. Post-training feedback showed high satisfaction and a strong intention to apply these tools in academic and professional contexts.
Another training session held at the Sammy Offer School of Communication at Reichman University on May 6 attracted 23 highly engaged participants, including students specializing in investigative and data journalism, several of them already engaged in professional media outlets.
Photo: Sharon Karp, Reichman University
ISOC-IL’s outreach also extended to the classroom. On May 27, Nitsan Yasur, ISOC-IL’s Disinformation and Digital Investigations Lead, delivered a guest lecture to undergraduate students in the “Journalism and AI” course at Tel Aviv University, taught by lecturer and Globes journalist Hila Weisberg. The lecture focused on AI, deepfakes, and verification techniques, and included real-world examples of AI-related vulnerabilities and scams reported to ISOC-IL’s Internet Safety Hotline. Additionally, two training sessions on disinformation and the reliability of information in Israel were conducted on June 9 and 16 for 52 undergraduate students from the Department of Communication at the Hebrew University.
Overall, the strong engagement and positive feedback from students highlighted a strong demand for this type of training, with participants reporting greater confidence in their ability to verify information, assess online sources, and apply digital investigative techniques. The program responds to a clear need among journalism students for practical, hands-on learning, while positioning ISOC-IL to expand its efforts in enhancing digital resilience and credibility across the media landscape.
To encourage the continuation and deepening of students’ work in advanced journalism and digital media innovation, excellence grants will be awarded at the end of the academic year to undergraduate journalism and communication students. These grants will support practical research projects that integrate digital tools and promote innovation in information literacy and advanced journalism.
The training sessions were delivered with the financial assistance of the European Union, facilitated by CFI and Expertise France. The contents of the sessions are the sole responsibility of ISOC-IL and may under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of CFI, Expertise France and the European Union.
