The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr. Chris Isiguzo has advised the first cohort of the inaugural PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship to leverage social media in becoming true media and public relations professionals.

Isiguzo spoke at the opening ceremony of the one-month-long capacity-building training for ten select PRNigeria Communication Fellows.

The event occurred at the Abuja Corporate Headquarters of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, the two flagship media publications of Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR).

Isiguzo encouraged young communicators to leverage social media in their profession because the media is now moving from the hands of professionals to the ordinary citizens thus removing the element of objectivity in media reportage.

In his words, “The real journalist is the trained journalist. It is important to pick out the fake news and put the real ones out there. We must battle those who are putting out fake news and change the narrative on social media. Your role in this, as the next generation of journalists, is crucial and influential.”

Dr. Isiguzo also advised the PRNigeria fellows to take their profession seriously, emphasizing how much of a powerful tool journalism is in promoting accountability in a democratic setting like Nigeria. He stressed the significant role they play in shaping public discourse and holding those in power accountable.

“Journalism is a unique profession. Given the circumstances, the law (constitution) has given power to journalists and this is why we are the linkage or middlemen between the government and the people.

During his opening remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of IMPR, Alhaji Yushau Shuaib welcomed the fellows and explained how complex the selection process was while choosing the 10 cohorts from over 1,000 applicants.

“When we announced the fellowship, within two days we received 1,414 entries. Due to the competitiveness, the selection process had to use the first-come, first-served principle as the primary criteria for selection. This approach was consistent across all centres in Kano, Ilorin, and Abuja, after which 10 Fellows were selected for each Centre so I want to welcome and congratulate you,” he said.

Alhaji Shuaib stated the essence of the fellowship while giving an overview of its programme activities and encouraged participants to utilise the opportunity for their self and community development.

“The essence of the Fellowship is to broaden your scope of knowledge in all aspects of communication. While journalism deals with gathering and disseminating information, strategic communication involves being mindful of the kind of information shared to avoid harming the community and those mentioned in the report.

“The Fellowship focuses on modern communication methods, public relations, crisis communication and social media engagement, introducing technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning as journalism has evolved. Additionally, there is a multimedia session, as communication is shifting from print to audiovisual.

“This Fellowship also provides networking opportunities. To facilitate this, we organised a session where you will visit some organisations, including media houses and PR departments, to interact, learn from their practical experiences, and gain hands-on experience.

“It is expected that you will contribute knowledge and groundbreaking projects to the world based on what you learn during the fellowship,” he said.

Other speakers at the event included Dr. Sule Yau Sule, a seasoned PR practitioner and communication scholar at Bayero University Kano and Mallam Yusuf Alli, a multi-award-winning investigative journalist and a Managing Editor at the Nation Newspapers.

By PRNigeria

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TECHDIGEST – The Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, is already concluding its work on the revised ‘Code of Ethics’ for journalists in the country.

It will be out as soon as some key stakeholders put the necessary finishing touches to it, according to Mr. Chris Isiguzo.

Isiguzo, the National President of the NUJ, made this known at a ‘Digital Journalism and Fact-Checking Workshop’ for journalists in Rivers State.

The event was sponsored by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, and attracted journalists from various media outfits in the state.

READ ALSO: 2023 Polls: NITDA cautions journalists against fake news

The workshop, themed: Imperatives of Digital News Verification for 2023 Elections,” held in Port Harcourt, was facilitated by the image Merchants Promotion (IMPR), Limited, the publisher of PRNigeria, in collaboration with the NUJ.

While emphasizing that the Nigerian media must put in place a framework for self-regulation, Mr. Isiguzo said their NUJ is championing the formulation of a Bill of Rights for media practitioners, together with the establishment of an Ombudsman to regulate the practice of journalism in the country.

“Appointing a Press Ombudsman is one efficient to help secure the respect and freedom of the Nigerian press.

“We also believe that the Ombudsman would help deliver satisfactory, speedy, and accessible remedies to many of the complaints against our journalists and media organisations,” he said.

Ahead of the 2023 polls and proliferation of fake news, the NUJ boss also called for the adoption of ‘Global Ethics Charter for Journalists’ by media professionals.

“While there is nothing like ethics and morality in the social media, and by implications in the general information disorder we find ourselves in, however it is proper to encourage accountability in the mainstream media and in whatever we do as media professionals,” he said.

Isiguzo said that for Nigerian journalists to assist in making the 2023 polls peaceful, they must promote and adhere to high ethical standards in their reportage while also ensuring that they report political issues and events responsibly.

Earlier, Mal. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of NITDA, who was represented by Haj. Hadiza Umar, the agency’s spokesperson, restated NITDA’s commitment to the expansion of the digital space, development of journalists’ human capital and the promotion of robust digital-based journalism, that serves the best and wider interest of the nation.

He noted that learning how to do fact-checks will help media professionals carry out due diligence on any information that comes to them while also stemming the tide of fake news.

“There’s no doubting the fact that we are in the digital age where everything is now based on computers and the internet.

“It is of interest to us therefore that our journalists take advantage of the available digital tools to do their jobs better and serve the country better,” said the NITDA Director General.

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TECHDIGEST – Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdulahi, Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has cautioned Journalists against carrying fake news while reporting the forthcoming general election.

He said this on Wednesday while declaring open a digital journalism and fact-checking workshop organised by NITDA in collaboration with NUJ and PRNigeria in Enugu.

Represented by, Mrs Hadiza Umar, Head of Communication and External Affairs, he said the workshop was designed to reawaken journalists on the dangers of fake news, especially before, during and after elections.

“The Theme of this workshop: “Imperatives of Digital news Verifications for 2023 Election,” is apt considering that the 2023 election is fast approaching.

“Fake news can mare the forthcoming election, journalists must always try to verify their news before publishing,” he said.

Speaking, the President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, said that the workshop was a continuation of a nationwide capacity engagements spanning 20 states.

“This is in view of the moment of electioneering ahead of the elections.

READ ALSO: NUJ Commends NITDA for Digital Journalism Trainings at State Level

“We considered it imperative to engage strategic stakeholders participating in the elections,” he said.

Isiguzo said that journalists must maintain high level of professional ethics in the discharge of their duties, especially in the electioneering period.

He urged journalists to always think about the integrity and peaceful co-existence of the country above other considerations.

“Journalists should be guided by national interest in their reportage.

“The media must understand that we operate in a condition where we need to pull our people out of ignorance, poverty and squalor,” he said.

The NUJ president described fake news as one of the greatest threats to democracy, adding that, the NUJ was currently making efforts to rewrite the ethics for journalists.

“This has become imperative in the light of the advent of the social media,” he said.

Source: IkengaOnline

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TECHDIGEST – The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Chapter, Mr Sam Udekwe, has commended the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) for always prioritising the growth and development of journalists especially in the area of amassing digital skills for smooth operation.

Udekwe, who spoke at the end of Digital Journalism and Fact-checking Workshop held in Enugu said NITDA under the Kashifu Inuwa-led management has made journalism the priority of its capacity building initiatives.

He commended Inuwa for periodically helping NUJ leaders to develop the capacity of journalists across the country.
He also commended the Chris Isiguzo-led national leadership of NUJ and the Yushau Shuaib-led Image Merchants Promotion Limited, Publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, for collaborating with NITDA to bring the workshop to Enugu.

READ ALSO: At NITDA’s Digital Journalism Workshop, NUJ Advocates ‘Bill of Rights’ for Media

Also speaking, chairman of the Enugu correspondent chapel, Mr Lawrence Njoku, commended the NUJ national leadership and IMPR for the initiative, pledging that the participants will make the best use of what they learnt in the course of the training.
Speaking on behalf of female participants, Ngozi Mbah of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) said she and other beneficiaries were leaving the venue enriched with the latest digital tools they were exposed to.
In her remarks, the spokesperson of NITDA, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, who represented the DG, said her agency would sustain the capacity building programme on latest digital tools and skills for mass communication.

She therefore urged the journalists to make the best use of the skills they learnt which were meant to ease their job and also share the knowledge with colleagues who could not attend the session.

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TECHDIGEST – The Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, is worried that the safety and welfare of media practitioners in the country is nothing to write home about, especially in recent times.

Its concern was revealed at a ‘Digital Journalism and Fact-Checking Workshop’ in Enugu State, themed: “Imperative of Digital News Verification for 2023 Elections.”

The event was sponsored by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, and attracted journalists from various media outfits in the state.

The NUJ, through its National President, Chris Isiguzo, however called on relevant stakeholders to quickly evolve ways to protect journalists from all forms of violent assaults, while also ensuring that everything about their welfare is well catered for.

READ ALSO: NITDA Bill 2021 ‘ll Help Nigeria Harness Benefits of Global Digital Economy – Editor

According to Isiguzo, it is pertinent that the National Assembly, NASS, legislates and comes up with a ‘Bill of Rights’ for journalists in the country.

Mr. Isiguzo, at the workshop facilitated by the image Merchants Promotion (IMPR), Limited, the publisher of PRNigeria in collaboration with the NUJ, explained that having a ‘Bill of Rights’ for media practitioners will go a long way to ensure that the needs, safety and welfare of journalists in the country are safeguarded.

Ahead of the 2023 polls and proliferation of fake news, the NUJ boss also called for the adoption of ‘Global Ethics Charter for Journalists’ by media professionals.

“While there is nothing like ethics and morality in the social media, and by implications in the general information disorder we find ourselves in, however it is proper to encourage accountability in the mainstream media and in whatever we do as media professionals,” he said.

Isiguzo, while speaking further, maintained that the journalist’s responsibility towards the public takes precedence over any other responsibility, in particular towards their employers and the public authorities.

He said that for Nigerian journalists to assist in making the 2023 polls peaceful, they must promote and adhere to high ethical standards in their reportage while also ensuring that they report political issues and events responsibly.

Earlier, Mal. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of NITDA, who was represented by Haj. Hadiza Umar, the agency’s spokesperson, restated NITDA’s commitment to the expansion of the digital space, development of journalists’ human capital and the promotion of robust digital-based journalism, that serves the best and wider interest of the nation.

He noted that learning how to do fact-checks will help media professionals carry out due diligence on any information that comes to them while also stemming the tide of fake news.

“There’s no doubting the fact that we are in the digital age where everything is now based on computers and the internet.

“It is of interest to us therefore that our journalists take advantage of the available digital tools to do their jobs better and serve the country better,” said the NITDA Director General.

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TECHDIGEST – The Managing Editor of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, Mr. Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, has explained why the National Assembly and President Muhammadu Buhari must speedily pass and assent the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA Bill 2021.

According to him, once the Bill is passed into law, NITDA Act 2021 will catalyse the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy.

“It will also provide an adequate legal framework for Nigeria to tap into the potential of the global digital economy,” he said.

Abdulraheem disclosed this in a paper titled, “Global Reality and Digital Inclusion – NITDA Bill 2021 in Focus,” which he presented at a ‘Digital Journalism and Fact-Checking Workshop’ in Lagos State on Monday.

The workshop, organised by NITDA in collaboratiom with the Nigerian Union of Journalism was facilitated by Image Merchants Promotion Ltd, the publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential.

The workshop themed: “Imperative of Digital News Verification for 2023 Elections’ was attended by journalists from across several television, radio, newspaper and online media platforms as participants.

Despite the accelerated growth of Nigeria’s Information Communication Technology, ICT, sector, Abdulraheem observed that digital economy presents a number of unique challenges and opportunities that may not be adequately addressed by existing regulatory frameworks.

READ ALSO: Ahead of 2023 Polls, NUJ Seeks Adoption of ‘Ethics Charter’ for Journalists to Curb Fake News

He said: “For example, the rapid pace of technological change in the digital economy may require NITDA to be more flexible and responsive in its regulatory approach.”

Mr. Abdulraheem, argued that “amending the law establishing NITDA to enable the agency effectively regulates Nigeria’s digital economy would help to ensure that the agency has the necessary powers and resources to carry out this important function.”

His words: “This could include, for example, the authority to set standards and guidelines specifically tailored to the needs of the digital economy, or the ability to investigate and enforce penalties for noncompliance.”

Talking about the alleged rift or overlapping of functions between NITDA and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Abdulraheem argued that NITDA Bill 2021 does not infringe on the independence of the NCC in any way.

He added that it is global best practice to have the two agencies working independently and performing their respective regulatory functions, adding that the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia have agencies performing the roles of NITDA and NCC without any clash.

“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the main regulatory body for telecommunications in the US, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is responsible for developing standards and guidelines for the use of IT in the country,” he noted.

Earlier, Mal. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of NITDA, who was represented by Haj. Hadiza Umar, the agency’s spokesperson, restated NITDA’s commitment to the expansion of the digital space, development of journalists’ human capital and the promotion of robust digital-based journalism, that serves the best and wider interest of the nation.

“There’s no doubting the fact that we are in the digital age where everything is now based on computers and the internet.

“It is of interest to us therefore that our journalists take advantage of the available digital tools to do their jobs better and serve the country better,” he said.

Inuwa noted that learning how to do fact-checks will help media professionals carry out due diligence on any information that comes to them, while also stemming the tide of fake news.

Speaking at the event, National President of the NUJ, Chris Isiguzo, sought the adoption of ‘Global Ethics Charter for Journalists’ by media professionals in the country.

Ahead of the 2023 polls and proliferation of fake news, Mr. Isiguzo said that although experts believe fake news is one of the greatest threats to democracy, free debate and good governance, it is journalism or information that deliberately misleads people and distorts reality by spreading false information, hoaxes, propaganda or misrepresentation of facts

By PRNigeria

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TECHDIGEST – Ahead of the 2023 polls and proliferation of fake news, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, is seeking the adoption of ‘Global Ethics Charter for Journalists’ by media professionals in the country.

National President of the NUJ, Chris Isiguzo, made the appeal at a Digital Journalism and Fact-Checking Workshop’ in Lagos State.

The workshop, sponsored by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, in collaboration with the NUJ, was facilitated by PRNigeria, and themed: “Imperative of Digital News Verification for 2023 Elections’.

He said that although experts believe fake news is one of the greatest threats to democracy, free debate and good governance, it is journalism or information that deliberately misleads people and distorts reality by spreading false information, hoaxes, propaganda or misrepresentation of facts.

According to Isiguzo, the idea of a journalistic ethos is not only to provoke discussion on ethical and moral issues in journalism practice, but also intended to provide a philosophical basis for journalistic ethics and set conceptual framework for working at and appraising the many hazards in modern journalism practice.

READ ALSO: The Needless Attacks on Pantami over NITDA Bill

“While there is nothing like ethics and morality in the social media, and by implications in the general information disorder we find ourselves in, however it prosper to encourage accountability in the mainstream media and in whatever we do as media professionals,” he said.

The NUJ boss, while speaking further, maintained that the journalist’s responsibility towards the public takes precedence over any other responsibility, in particular towards their employers and the public authorities.

He said: “It must be accepted that perhaps deficiencies of the media are now more glaring than in the past, given the complexity of the society, the interdependence of its component parts and the indispensability of information and communication, comprehending and adapting to the rapid challenges that occur in our society”.

Mr. Isiguzo, emphasized the need for the media to take its environment into account when performing the role of transmitting information to members of the society. “There is therefore the urgent need for us to redefine the concept of news in such a way as would enable interpretation of events to take cognisance of the totality of our population”.

Earlier, Mal. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of NITDA, who was represented by Haj. Hadiza Umar, the agency’s spokesperson, restated NITDA’s commitment to the expansion of the digital space, development of journalists’ human capital and the promotion of robust, digital-based journalism that serves the best and wider interest of the nation.

“There’s no doubting the fact that we are in the digital age where everything is now based on computers and the internet.

“It is of interest to us therefore that our journalists take advantage of the available digital tools to do their jobs better and serve the country better,” he said.

Kashifu Inuwa, noted that learning how to do fact-checks will definitely help media professionals to be able to do due diligence on any information that comes to them and this will help stem the tide of fake news.

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TECHDIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has agreed to partner with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to provide eligible journalists with the technological tools to enhance their professional practice.

This was during a courtesy visit by members of the Union, led by its National President, Chris Isiguzo.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, decried the adverse effect of fake news which he described as unimaginable and a huge threat to the profession, hence the need for continuous training and engagements.

“Today, anybody can be a journalist without knowing the journalistic ethics. So, how can we address that?

“We can only do that through this kind of engagement; by training and retraining because journalists need to understand that it is now about digital journalism and for you to engage in that, one needs to understand the technology and be able to verify the information and it’s source before publishing or broadcasting”.

“We need to always reskill, update our knowledge, and understand how the technology works in order to harness the potentials and use it for better things because technology can be used as either a tool or a weapon.

While describing journalism as the best medium to sensitize the public on what the federal government is doing towards achieving a digital Nigeria, Inuwa noted that the partnership would greatly be beneficial to both parties.

On the forthcoming National Executive Council/ Workshop on Digital Journalism organized by the Union, the NITDA boss expressed interest in the planned programme and assured the body of the agency’s support.

Speaking earlier, the NUJ National President, Chris Isiguzo while applauding NITDA for the different training sessions held for journalists in Jigawa, Kano, Gombe, Katsina and other States, said the visit was to formally meet for the first time to seek for partnership at the national level.

Isiguzo also appealed for digital facilities to be provided for the Union’s National Secretariat and International Institute of Journalism in order to aid optimal operations.

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