INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE TRAINS 40 JOURNALISTS ON ELECTION COVERAGE
The facilitators were: Taiwo Obe; founder of Journalism Clinic; Muyiwa Popoola; a Professor of journalism at Ajayi Crowther University and David Ajikobi; Head of AfricanCheck in Nigeria, and took the participants on ethics, fact-checking and digital media.
The Director of International Press Centre(IPC), Lanre Arogundade in his welcome address, said over 200 applications were received and of these, only 40 were selected to take part, explaining that the workshop was organised to critically examine the role of media for credible electoral process
Hear him, “This event is organised to critically examine the interconnections between the public, the media and elections towards developing an agenda that seeks to strengthen the role of the media in facilitating a credible electoral process’.
“The aim of the meeting also is to bring to the front burner, the prerequisites to hone the skills of journalists in the professional and ethical reportage of democratic processes and elections as well as commit to professional, conflict sensitive, citizen-focused, gender-focused and digital reporting of the 2019 elections,” he added.
The Director of the Centre explained further that the training will help participants to understand and imbibe the principles of fairness, diversity and objectivity in reporting the electoral process.
However, Pro Popoola, on his lecture on how to be conflict sensitive in election reporting, encouraged reporters to “do research and figure out shadow parties in political conflict” and ”trace the link of any report before publishing to avoid reports that may lead to violence if not properly managed”.
Penpushing also reports that Ajikobi on his own part took the participants on the necessary tools needed for fact-checking politicians ”before, during and after the electioneering process”, while Obe taught the participants on how to enhance professional reporting of the electoral process using multimedia and digital approaches.
Among participants who expressed their satisfaction after the training, include Bukola Agbakaizu of Ogun State Television who said, “the workshop is an impactful one and has opened my eyes to best practices of political reportage. I also learned how to he conflict sensitive”, while Sekinah Lawal, Chairperson, National Association Women Journalists (NAWIJ), Lagos chapter, applauded the trainers.
Her words, “the training is educative and enlightening and I feel that all Nigerian Journalists should be exposed to this. We hope that we have a better political environment so that Journalists will fully discharge their duties.”
