Stallion Times trains journalists on conflict reporting

By Richard Elesho

Journalists have been charged to target their reports at resolving conflicts and peace building in society, rather than triggering crisis.

This charge was part of the communique issued in Lokoja on Saturday, at the end of a workshop on “Conflict Sensitive Reporting” for journalists in Kogi State.

The event which had journalists from both print and electronic media in attendance, was organized by Stallion Times Media Services Ltd, Kano, with support from Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and MacArthur Foundation.

Mallam Isiyaku Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Stallion Times said media practitioners should always be guided by their constitutional roles to hold Government accountable by their reports.

He cautioned against rushing to the press, in the name of “breaking news” to publish stories without cross checking or proper investigation of issues involved. He then emphasized the importance of accurate, objective and balanced reportage.

Shaibu Usman Leman, National Secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, delivered a paper on “Conflict Sensitive Reporting and Safety of Journalists” and “Fake news and Ethical Journalism.”

The NUJ scribe said journalists must have good understanding of issues before they can report them adequately and warned against sensational or fake news. He noted that Journalists can set society on fire by a careless report.

“We need to educate government officials about issues concerning conflict but in doing so, we must understand it and deviate from unethical conduct by being fair in our reportage, starting from the choice of words we use in such exercise,” he said.

The workshop participants agreed that journalists should be mindful of their safety by adhering to usage of safety kits while covering in conflicts zones. They should in spite of threats, redouble their efforts and live up to the values and standards of the profession.

While emphasizing the need for continuous training and retraining if Journalists, they called on owners of media houses to provide a framework for providing healthcare and social protection for journalists.

The workshop was attended by 40 Journalists from state owned and Independent media.