TECHDIGEST – In continuation of its drive to enhance the capacity of media practitioners in the country, no fewer than 50 journalists and Social Media Influencers in Jigawa State have benefitted from a ‘Digital Journalism and Fact-Checking Training’ sponsored by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The training which was organized by Image Marchant Promotions Limited (IMPR) – Publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential Magazine; in conjunction with Penlight Centre for New Media Innovation with support from NITDA, held at the Manpower Development Institute (MDI), Dutse.

The training exposed participants and other online practitioners to various skills including media ethics, digital journalism and news verification, among others.

While declaring the workshop open, Hadiza Umar, the Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relations NITDA said that the capacity building workshop is one of the core mandates and objectives of the Agency and it was aimed at equipping Journalists with knowledge and skills of Digital Journalism practice in the Digital era.

In his paper presentation titled: “Journalism Ethics in an Era of Global Information Disorder”, former Managing Director of the Jigawa Broadcasting Corporation, Alh. Sabo Abdullahi Guri, charged media practitioners in Nigeria to uphold professionalism and high ethical standards in the discharge of their duties as the fourth estate of the realm.

He noted that the evolution of digital media and related technologies pose a significant threat to journalists and analogue media managers, hence the dire need to mainstream digital technologies in serving the public better as the watchdogs of society.

“The media is governed by standards which oversee its conduct and define its relationship with the larger society,” he said.

He charged the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to checkmate such erosion of standards, especially by some privately run media organizations.

“People cannot continue to belittle our profession just because someone wants to make money,” he lamented.

The Editor-in-Chief of PRNigeria, Malam Yushau Shuaib, charged journalists and online practioners to take ownership and understand the consequences of their actions before going public.

He went further to educate participants on the techniques of digital journalism, social media practices and management of crises in communication.

The PR specialist used the medium to emphasize the need for journalists to acquire knowledge and skills on new-media technologies as tools for effective and efficient practice of digital journalism, charging them to desist from all forms of false information, fake News and hate speeches that could generate tensions among the people.

While taking participants on the topic: “Social Media Management, Etiquette for Journalists and Influencers”, Samuel Adeyemi, Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos Chapter, warned that journalists and social media influencers should be wary of people that use them to promote pecuniary ideology and agenda.

The Project Manager of Penlight Centre, Dahiru M Lawal, spoke on online media fact-checking, media monitoring and search engine optimization, where he introduced Journalists and social media influencers to basic knowledge of facts reporting, content monitoring on social media and techniques of using digital tools for effective verification of information.

Before presenting certificates to participants, the Media Adviser to Jigawa State Government, Mallam Habib Kila commended NITDA for its various technological interventions and capacity building programmes on Digital innovations across the states of the federation.

Other guests at the occasion included Mallam Habib M. Ringim, SSA New Media and Mallam Ahmed Danyaro, SSA Print Media.

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TECHDIGEST – Social media influencers and Journalists in Kebbi State have applauded the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) for its continued efforts in ensuring that Journalists across the country are equipped with Digital Skills to hone their practice.

The newsmen disclosed this at a Capacity Building Workshop on Digital Journalism and Fact-checking, organized by NITDA in collaboration with PRNigeria, Penlight Centre.

The programme which is also facilitated by Khadimiya Foundation for Justice Initiative and  Brilux Media Consult held at Saffar Guest-inn Conference Hall, Birnin Kebbi.

The Journalists who admitted that the non-professionals mishandling and misuse of Social Media online outlets poses a great challenge to Mainstream Media operations and real practices of Journalism in the present Digital era, noted that training like this will go a long way in building the capacity of journalists and restoring the integrity of the profession.

“I believe everybody that attended the workshop must have gone back home much more than the way they came in. We have been equipped with great knowledge of modern day Journalism and we were also able to meet young resource persons who did tremendously well,” Aliyu Muhammad Hamagan, a Veteran Journalist and Kebbi State Correspondent of Daily Trust Newspaper said.

Appealing to NITDA to make such training a continuous process, Hamagan said, “such knowledge is not what one gathers in a day, but if it’s recurrent we will gather a lot and that will make us better personalities in our chosen profession.”

On her part, Maryam Attoh Muhammad, Reporter from Kebbi Television (KBTV), expressed delight and gratitude for the opportunity noting that she has learnt various news verification skills at the workshop while Murtala Adamu Diri, another reporter with KBTV noted that the workshop is very important particularly in the light of the fact that social media comes with a lot of unverifiable news and verification remains key for information integrity.

Declaring the Workshop open, the Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relations at NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar represented by the Project Manager Penlight Centre, Dahiru M Lawal said the capacity building workshop is one of the core mandates and objectives of the Agency and it was aimed at equipping Journalists with knowledge and skills of Digital Journalism practice in the Digital era.

Mrs Hadiza further revealed that the main essence of the training workshop for the Journalists and Social Media influencers was to educate them on the techniques of Digital Journalism practice and non-professional practices that occupied the Social Media space such as false information and fake News, where she called on the professional Journalists to take active measures towards addressing the issues militating against real practice of Journalism.

Presenting a Paper titled; Fake News; “Online Journalism and the Dilemma of Race against time” Dr. Mansur Buhari from the Department of Modern European Languages Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto, highlighted some non-professional practices currently occupying the space of Social Media such as fake News and false information and how they affect the accuracy and validity of information shared on the New Media.

Also in his presentation, the Editor-in-chief, PRNigeria, Malam Yushau Shuaib educated participants on the techniques of Digital Journalism, Social media practices and management of crises in communication.

The PR specialist used the Medium to emphasize the need for Journalists to acquire knowledge and skills on New-media technologies as tools for effective and efficient practice of Digital Journalism, and charged them to desist from all forms of false information, fake News and hate speeches that could generate tensions among the people.

In his Paper presentation, Project Manager Penlight Centre and author of 101 Fake News on EndSARS, Dahiru M Lawal, spoke on the online media fact-checking, media monitoring and search engine optimization, where he introduced Journalists and Social Media influencers to basic knowledge of facts reporting, content monitoring on Social Media and techniques of using digital tools for effective verification of information.

On his part, the Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Dr. Jibril Gwandu, expressed his goodwill and charged participants to make good use of the knowledge acquired during the training.

The workshop was well attended by various journalists and social media influencers across the state.

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