Ahead of the November Kogi governorship election, the Executive Director, International Press Centre (IPC), Mr Lanre Arogundade, has advised journalists to deploy the required professionalism in the coverage and reportage of the electoral process to enable the electoral umpire deliver on a free, fair and credible poll.
Arogundade gave the advice at a two-day media roundtable/engagement on Kogi election organized by IPC with the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria, (EU-SDGN II) Component 4: Support to Media held at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Arogundade said media engagement is imperative in order to thoroughly analyze the relationships between the general public, the media, and the electoral procedures, and to establish a plan that enhances the media and citizens’ contributions in promoting a trustworthy electoral process.
Taking the journalists through the safety tips, Arogundade advised journalists to avoid negotiations with politicians and be firm on their independence as well as get adequate information about the environment they will be deployed to cover the election.
Meanwhile, the Founder, Journalism Clinic, Mr Taiwo Obe, in his presentation, told journalists to deploy impactful reporting strategies which will focus on the people, their stories and their interests, stressing that the people must be provided with the needed information to make better decisions about their lives and society.
While emphasizing the importance of providing solutions to pertinent issues for the better performance of those governing, Obe implored journalists to shift their focus towards solution journalism.
On the other hand, Hamza Idris, the Editor, Daily Trust, urged journalists to exercise caution when creating headlines that have the potential to incite conflict.
He emphasized the importance of verifying information before publishing as spreading unverified news can contribute to the rapid dissemination of fake news.
In addition, he advised journalists to resist the temptation of being the first to break a story, saying this can inadvertently contribute to the spread of misinformation.
Idris called for fair coverage of each candidate and ensure unbiased reporting during election periods.
“This will promote responsible journalism maintain the integrity of news reporting.’’
A participant, Katherine Odok, a broadcast journalist, told Persecond News that the workshop was an eye opener as it has exposed her to digital tools required to report the election better.
Also speaking, Thompson Yamput of NAN and Deborah Agbonika of Akoni TV, said the workshop has equipped them with strategies includng the need to be intentional about inclusive reportage before, during and after the election.
In all, 26 journalists from different media houses including Persecondnews, who were drawn from Kogi, participated in the pre-election training.
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