Journalists in Nigeria are enjoined to embrace series of professional etiquettes and utilise tools for proper investigation on materials to be used for their stories to ensure efficient and impactful reportage.
Facilitators, who tutored participants at a one-day media personnel advocacy roundtable dropped the guides.
Read also: How to fund Africa dying journalism
The training, organized by Afri-media (Albarka FM), supported by Wolesoyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability project (CMEDIA) and funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus, Principal Correspondent, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) spoke on a topic “Media Law and Ethics – Concept Principles and Practice” saying for the media to contribute effectively in good governance; they must apply the basic principles of patriotism, accountability, and objectivity in the discharge of their duties.
“All aspects of good governance are facilitated by the existence of a strong, pluralistic and independent media in the society. Hence, the need for a free and independent media.
There is the need to have a free and vibrant media landscape for the success of democracy and enhancement of good governance by the media,” she said.
Zainab Oyiza Sanni, also media expert who joined the training via zoom discussed “Fact Checking as Tool for Investigative Reporting”
Sanni explained that verification can be done on image, video, audio and text as well as geolocation verification.
She mentioned yandex, google drive, deepware, clues, forensically pimeyes, and others as tools that can be used to check and detect facts about information that might be manipulated, doctored or fake.
Read also: Solution journalism seen inspiring positive change, policy reforms in Nigerian communities
She added that using five Ws and H as basis to verify and track down contents; answers will be provided to who says what where when why and how? Then facts and figures would be revealed.
