Ahead of the off-cycle governorship election in Kogi scheduled for November 11, the International Press Centre (IPC) has organized a two-day training programme on fact-checking and electoral information integrity for journalists in the state.
Persecondnews reports that no fewer than 27 journalists are attending the workshop.
The workshop kick-offs the IPC’s iVerify project, which is supported by the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP)held at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The training, which is aimed at equipping journalists from the print, electronic and online media with the necessary skills to ensure factual accuracy of news and enhance the credibility of electoral information, started with 27 male and female journalists from Kogi state in Abuja, is expected to be held in Imo and Bayelsa States.
Introducing the journalists to the iVerify platform and its workings, the Executive Director of IPC Mr. Lanre Arogundade, said journalists must verify information before publishing, noting that the objective of the training is to enhance the integrity of information on the electoral processes in the respective states.
He said it must also enhance the electioneering campaigns, the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and post-election democratic accountability and governance issues.
Arogundade said the training is being done in collaboration with media professional organizations, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ).
The founder of Journalism Clinic, Taiwo Obe, who trained journalists extensively on the art of questioning in journalism, said journalists should be “detectives of misinformation”.
He said to combat disinformation and misinformation, journalists must demonstrate their professionalism in “questioning information” made in the public domain until answers are provided.
In his presentation, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC, Mr Olurotimi Oyekanmi, who spoke on fact-checking to promote electoral integrity; combating electoral information disorder or fake news – the INEC experience, and the dangers of information disorder or fake news to peace building and conflict resolution, noted that journalists must up their game to stem the tide of disinformation before, during and after the off-cycle elections.
Also, the Africa Check editor, David Ajikobi introduced the trainees to fact-checking tools for the purpose of combating the menace of false information during the electioneering period.
Mr. Matthew Alao, Team Lead, Governance, Peace & Security of UNDP Nigeria, speaking to the Kogi and Bayelsa participants, noted that electoral disinformation and fake news in general are major threats to the ability of citizens to have the right information during electoral processes and elections.
He said they also constitute a threat to democracy.
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