2019: EU partners IPC to train journalists on reporting elections

The European Union, in partnership with the International Press Centre (IPC), organised 2-day capacity building media workshop to train Nigerian journalists ahead of the 2019 elections.

The workshop, which held in Abeokuta, Ogun state, saw 25 participants drawn from the six geo-political zones.

Taiwo Obe, founder and director of the Journalism Clinic, Jide Ojo, writer and development consultant, and Bolaji Adebiyi, Editor at This Day Newspaper, took the participants through several dynamics of election reporting.

Delivering a paper on ‘Integrating socio-economic and human index development data into political reporting’, Ojo urged the reporters to engage the candidates in issue-based campaigns.

He also urged the media to live up to its job of ensuring transparency and accountability in reporting electoral processes.

“Nigeria is at the threshold of conducting her sixth general elections since 1999. Every four years we elect president, governors, senators, House of Representatives members, and members of State Houses of Assembly. What have we to show for these elections?,” Ojo asked.

Adebiyi, on his part, urged journalists to develop themselves with knowledge of the guidelines and process of elections.

According to him, reporting should be sieved, based on facts and truth.

Also, Obe urged the reporters to employ the use of social media and digital tools in reporting electoral processes.

He urged the participants to be embrace creativity and diversification, saying “your brain is your most important tool.”

Lanre Arogundade, director, IPC, said the idea of the training was in the recognition of the important roles journalists play in the process and outcome of elections.

He explained that the training was timed in view of the forthcoming election to groom journalistst to effectively cover the electoral process.

“In the context of modern day journalism, the political reporter cannot afford not to be able to use data to disseminate sensible electoral information. He/she cannot afford not to factor the human and social element into election reporting. Crucially too, he/she cannot afford not to be conflict sensitive or ignore the ethical and professional imperatives that underline good journalism,” Arogundade said.

“He or she must have his/her skills constantly honed so it could disseminate information that adds value to the conduct of credible elections.”