The Women Radio Centre has trained 20 female journalists in investigative reporting in ensuring that women can effectively tell their stories, especially from female gender perspectives, which include provision of tools to carry out investigative reports.
Penpushing reports that the three-day training supported by the MacArthur Foundation was the third edition which focused on gender-based reporting while the participants learnt how to verify images and videos, as well as how to use Google advanced search, amongst others.
The Convener and Chief Executive Officer of the centre, Toun Sonaiya, in her speech at the training held in Lagos explained that the essence of the training was important for women to tell their stories, hence need to build capacity of female journalists.
“If we do not build the capacity of female journalists to do their work well, our stories will not be reported properly. So, we came up with the Women Radio Centre strictly to train women in the media,” she said.
Penpushing further reports that Sonaiya pointed out that the training would among other objectives, ensure that the gap between young female journalists and the mature and experienced ones is bridged so that they can continually tell the stories of women whether positive or negative.
‘There are so many unreported stories of women. We found out that when we build the capacity of female journalists in their communities across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, they will be able to tell the stories from their angle as it happens there’, Sonaiya added.
“We think women in the profession need to be skilled to perform and compete with men. We are not saying men cannot tell our story, we are only saying that men can tell our story but a woman would tell it better’, she stated.
Penpushing also report Managing Editor, of Premium Times Idris Akinbajo, at the training gave the participants a step-by-step guide on how to apply all investigative tools, including the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
The official of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Maxine Danso took time to train the participants on how to detect digital manipulation using fact-checking and social media tools, while Charles Mbah taught them the practical tools required for sourcing credible data for investigative reporting.
Penpushing reports that, a senior lecturer at Bayero University, Kano Suleiman Yar’Adua and Busola Ajibola, Deputy Director at the CJID, harped on physical, digital and psycho-social safety, while Dapo Olorunyomi Publisher of Premium Times handled the topic “Journalism serves as the accountability metrics.”
The renowned veteran journalist told participants that a free and independent press was a vital part of the institutional mix to play the three key roles of watchdog, agenda setting and gatekeeping, stressing that the watchdog or accountability role requires the press to provide oversight on powerful sectors, hence the need for the profession to be dominated by ethical people.
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