By YOP PAM
Media Professionals have been challenged to avoid sensationalism, leverage on the use of fact checking tools to verify information and maintain ethical standards in the discharge of their duties.
This was the crux of discussion at a three-day workshop in Jos titled ‘’Media for Peace’’ organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur International Zusammenarbeit, Giz, a German Corporation for International Corporation.
Participants at the training were drawn from the media, bloggers and content creators.
The three-days workshop organized by GIZ, under the Peace core Two project was geared towards encouraging participants to promote conflict sensitive reporting by media professionals, shape the Plateau narrative and promote peaceful messages in their different platforms towards peaceful coexistence in the state.
In a presentation titled Communication for Development and Peace Building, Mrs. Irene David-Arinze urged media professionals to avoid sensational headlines to deescalate tension in conflict situation.
She emphasized the need for the participants to change the Plateau narrative of the media through the content they publish or broadcast to the public.
Another facilitator, Mrs. Lois Ugbede who highlighted on Introduction to Information Disorder Ecosystem charged media professionals to come up with more programs to create awareness on the dangers of circulating fake news without fact checking its source.
She encouraged them to leverage on Artificial Intelligence and fact checking tools for credible reportage of issues.
On his part, Murtala Abdullahi stressed the importance of solution journalism to shape government policies and provide long term solution to critical issues such as farmer/herders conflicts among others.
Earlier, GiZ’s Senior Technical Adviser in Nigeria, SUZANNE GOPUK while giving an overview of activities of the international organisation in Nigeria, said the Peace-core two project is focused at strengthening capacity for conflict vulnerable groups in North Central Nigeria.
She explained that the Media for Peace training also focused at shaping the Plateau narratives to counter misinformation and influence public opinion positively towards a peaceful state.
Some participants including Mrs. Elizabeth Salami, Marie-Therese Nanlong, Goodness Nimkim lauded organizers of the program and promised to step down the knowledge acquired for efficient service delivery.
The training featured practical sessions of effectively use fact checking and Artificial intelligence journalism tools for accurate and fair reportage of issues.
Edited by Karen Keyen
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