RAPP Journalism Seminar Highlights the Importance of Restoring Trust in the Media

With the goal of promoting dialogue on disinformation and restoring public trust in journalism, the Red Arubiano di Prensa Profesional (RAPP) organized its second annual seminar titled “Rebuilding Trust in Caribbean Media.” The event focused on improving interaction with audiences, strengthening fact-checking practices, and addressing digital threats that impact journalistic integrity.

The Caribbean Journalism Seminar, held on Thursday, September 26, 2025, at Impact Hub Aruba, reflected the growing challenge of misinformation across the Caribbean and its impact on public confidence in news organizations. Through engaging presentations and discussions, RAPP encouraged journalists to work together to enhance transparency, ethics, and community engagement.

Featured speakers included:

• Rosario Marina (Chequeado, Argentina): Demonstrated how fact-checking tools can combat disinformation and be effectively integrated into newsroom workflows.
• Vincent Smit (1Almere, Netherlands): Shared insights on innovative community-based journalism strategies that foster genuine engagement and rebuild audience trust.
• Paul Eelens (Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, Aruba): Explained the connection between digital threats, cybersecurity, and how misinformation can undermine confidence in media communication.

Participants actively joined in discussions, emphasizing the urgent need to address issues surrounding trust and misinformation in today’s media landscape. The seminar was made possible with support from the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK).

RAPP will continue its 2025 programming with two major initiatives:

• Public Series – “Information Under Pressure”: A public dialogue series on misinformation to be held on October 16, 23, and 28 at the University of Aruba.
• Digital Bootcamp for Journalists: An intensive workshop on digital content creation and AI tools, taking place on October 21, 22, and 25, 2025, at the JFK Education Center.

RAPP also invites journalists in Aruba who are not yet members to contact the organization for more information by emailing rapp.aruba@gmail.com

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