Follow Us on Google
From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
As the general elections draw near, with the need for the safety of journalists covering the polls, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), with support from Canadian Embassy, has trained 50 journalists from across Nigeria.
The two-day hybrid (in-house and online) election security training aimed at refreshing journalists’ understanding of the crucial role they play in sustainable democracy became necessary to minimise likely assault, harassment, and attack on journalists by anti-democratic elements, Deputy Director of CJID, Ms Busola Ajibola said.
According to her, society entrusted journalists with the responsibility of holding those in power accountable to the public as enshrined in section 22 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended).
She noted the need for journalists to double-check facts and figures at their disposal before going public, “this constitutional accountability task is however compromised when facts are distorted in our reporting”.
“One of the defining features of democracy is the opportunity for citizens to periodically hold their leaders accountable through elections. However, the effectiveness of this process depends heavily on the media’s ability to inform the public.
“CJD is not oblivious of attacks against journalists and that the attacks tend to increase during election cycles. In 2022 alone, our Press Attack Tracker at CJID documented 53 attacks against journalists, many of which occurred during political rallies where journalists were beaten, denied access, or had their equipment damaged”, she said.
Busola further added that CJID would host a national symposium on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 “to sensitise government, security agencies, political parties, and all other stakeholders on the need to commit to protecting journalists and ensuring their safety at all times – including during elections. We invite you to all attend in person or register to join us online.”
The Managing Editor, Premium Times, Mr Idris Akintayo, who was one of the resource persons at the training, harped on the need for media houses and independent media practitioners to have a cycle of plans that would reduce security risks of those that will cover the election across the country.
On his part, the Editor of a fact-checking platform, Dubawa, Mr Kemi Busari, called on the journalists to use available direct neutral contacts, online platforms, and documents to fact-check political claims by politicians, especially during this season.
Earlier, the Publisher of Premium Times, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, warned media houses and journalists against deviating from their primary responsibility of watchdog, agenda setting, and gatekeeping in the interest of the Country.
