In line with its mandate of training and retraining journalists for enhanced professionalism, National Point newspaper/Foreword Communications Limited organized a one-day media training on “Investigative Journalism, Inclusive Development and Accountability,” for journalists drawn from various media houses across the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers.
The event held on Friday, July 19, 2024, at the Conference
Hall of New Point Hotel and Suites, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was supported by Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, WSCIJ, and Mac-Arthur Foundation.
The programme, which was graced by the chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Comrade Amos Etuk, and his Cross River State counterpart, Comrade Eso Archibong, was moderated by Sunny Dada and Emmanuel Obe, and five resource persons that did justice to various subjects.
In her opening remarks, the Managing Editor of National Point newspaper, Chief Constance Meju, on behalf of National Point and Foreword Communications Limited, welcomed participants and said National Point was one of the 26 media houses in Nigeria supported by WSCIJ and MacArthur Foundation use investigative journalism to promote good governance, inclusiveness and accountability in the public space.
“We are very grateful to Wole Soyinka and MacArthur Foundation. It is three years programme. We have trained journalists in Warri, Port Harcourt, and now, Akwa Ibom. The last training is coming up in Bayelsa State.”
Also speaking, the Managing Director of National Point newspaper, Ibiba DonPedro, said the training was very important for the development of journalists and advised participants to pay rapt attention to resource persons.
Presenting a paper on the topic, “Investigative Reporting Tools to Enhance Inclusivity and Accountable Governance,” Dr. Judex Okoro noted that journalism was not dying but was undergoing transformation. He said though investigative journalism in Nigeria had demonstrated capacity, it still required depth, and reach to make those in government embrace change and improve governance.
According to Dr. Okoro, who is also a seasoned journalist, publisher and editor-in-chief of a newspaper, tools needed for investigative journalism include: social media, Whatsapp, X (former Twitter), YouTube, Software/internet and inclusion notes.
Explaining that an investigative journalists must have the reportorial technique to be effective, he said, “Investigative journalism takes time and patience. You must impersonate (undercover), ambush, use hidden camera, digital pens, eye glasses, wrist watches, mount surveillance to unravel information.”
Okoro pointed out that sources of information include, “FOIA, email, memos, whistle blowing government documents, interviews, scoops, leaks from government officials.” He added that the journalist must be ready to spend money and meet deadlines.
Another resource person, Sunny Dada, in his presentation on “Data Assisted Reporting,” hinted that a lot of things promoted data journalism, which he mentioned are reading culture, impatience as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Dada, who is a well-known computer expert, revealed that many newspapers are innovating and going online with radio and television. “Journalism in Nigeria is seriously under siege. The innovation in digital journalism is to see how we can use few words to wrap up multitudes of words and embellish it with pictures to make it readable and interesting.
“You must know how to use some platforms, but not all platforms are for news, some are purely professional,” he said.
He talked about staying on the story which he explained that was all about continuity on the story for new information.
On Data triangulation, the resource person asked, “How do you triangulate this data to find out if its original or genuine source?”
On sources of platforms needed for stories, he mentioned: Help the reporter out, carver, voice transcriber, Data Rapper, Google Map, Google Earth, FOI, Time Line analysis. He also spoke on the content of stages development in a story, saying every investigative story has a cost.
“As a journalist, you must interrogate the trend, and you must try and break away from the traditional stories of ‘he said’ ‘he said’”. You should do something extraordinary or unique (investigative) even if it takes you one year,” he said.
Dada said stories depicted in data forms like charts, tables, curves and bars sell more, and encouraged journalists to always make use of them..
Delivering her paper on “Gender Reporting and Inclusivity,” Chief Meju highlighted the need for all segments of the society to be heard.
Meju observed that gender roles and responsibilities vary, expounding that equality does not mean that men or women are equal but equal rights of both.
“In Calabar, women have rights of inheritance but in other areas their rights are circumscribed.” She recalled, adding, “If the number of women here overwhelm men, it is imbalance. When we exclude women the society suffers.”
The National Point managing editor said social inclusion aims to include the vulnerable in the social activities such as the poor, people with disability, the old, people with religious minority, etc.
“This type of social exclusivity robs a man of his dignity,” she said and noted that the media shapes the world through its reports.
“When women are in charge good things happen,” she maintained, lamenting that society has so dehumanized Nigerians that they now do anything to survive.
“Our policies affect women and people with disability. There must be need for everybody to be included in social activities.
“In the 17 years of National Point existence, we have given more prominence to women,” she recalled, explaining that gender equality is essentially for a peaceful society.
Presenting his paper on “Human Rights Reporting, Inclusivity and Accountability,” Mr. Styvn Obodoekwe sounded it clear that human rights is not a privilege, but an entitlement.
“Human Rights is inherent, you are born with it. It is inalienable, nobody has the right or power to remove it from you, and you can enjoy it everywhere, around the world,” he stated.
Obodoekwe, who himself is a prominent human rights activist and the news editor of National Point newspaper, pontificated that only the court has the power to limit one’s human rights should he/she commit anything, adding that apart from that nobody can disrupt your rights.”
According to him, the state violates rights through their agents. “When private individuals like lawyers, religious persons, etc. are involved, it becomes an abuse. States violate human rights in two ways, omission or commission.
“When security agents arrest and dump in jail, it becomes commission. And when security agents fail to act in protecting the people, it becomes omission.
“Early girl marriage, gender inequality, witchcraft branding, police brutality, etc. are human rights abuses/violations,” he pointed out.
Obodoekwe disclosed that there are 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations of human rights, noting that individual rights are enshrined in United Nation Charter of 1948, after the 2nd World War, African Charter on Human Rights and the Nigerian Constitution.
Lecturing on “Communications Tools for Inclusive Development and Accountability, a veteran journalist and editor of National Point, Mr. Emmanuel Obe talked about ‘kits’, which accounting to him are tools needed in their journalism job.
He urged journalists to train themselves in the act to enhance effective performance in their profession. Obe further encouraged them to always see the need to have access to AI, Data journalism, Maintain their contacts (source), have good knowledge of the law, FOIA, and making reference to section 22 of the Constitution, which he said gives journalists the right to hold public officers accountable.
At the end of the training, journalists were happy and satisfied with the level of in-depth lectures delivered on various topical issues by resource persons. They promised to utilize the knowledge gained to improve on their profession, participants, however commended the organizers of the event and pray they maintain the tempo.
Highlights of the events were interactive session, questions and answers, data journalism practical and administering pre-test to gauge participants’ knowledge level on relevant workshop modules.
