THE Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), formerly known as Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), has organised a stakeholders roundtable to explore ways of improving conflict reporting in the media space.
The roundtable with the theme ‘Strengthening Media and Security Collaboration for Social Peace’, took place on March 29 in Abuja.
The event brought together participants from media organisations, security agencies and global right organisations including Partners West Africa Nigeria, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Free Press Unlimited, Embassy of the Netherlands and CLEEN Foundation.
Speaking at the event, the Acting Executive Director CJID Tobi Oluwatola, through the Director of Operations Tosin Alagbe, said the media and security dialogue was an avenue to proffer solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.
Oluwatola called for special training for journalists to allow them better understand how military structures operate while pushing for proactive disclosure and accountability on the part of security agencies.
The Deputy Head of Mission, Netherlands Embassy, Ewout de Wit, speaking at the occasion, said he “believes a better understanding between the media and security agencies will result in better information through media coverage”.
Papers were presented by Deputy-Director Journalism Program CJID Busola Ajibola on Media Narratives of Conflict, Sumner Shagari Sambo, Director of News Arise TV on Emerging Threats in Media Coverage and Freedom Onuoha, a security sector consultant on Insecurity and Humanitarian Crisis.
A panel session that critically examined ways of strengthening media and security collaboration for social peace was moderated by Ruth Olofin, Executive Director, CLEEN Foundation.
Members of the panel include Kemi Okenyodo, Executive Director Partner West Africa, Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director, International Press Centre and Amzat Ajibola, Managing Editor, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
At the end of the deliberations and discussions, stakeholders laid out some recommendations to include the standard strategic interface between the leadership of security forces and top media actors, the creation of forums that will provide opportunities for dialogue between security and media institutions to promote trust-building, intergenerational learning across boards and total value re-orientation beginning from homes, schools, and places of worship.
Other recommendations include the need for the media to ramp up training of media practitioners on tools and practices of fact-checking and conflict-sensitive reporting.
In her closing remark Executive Director, CLEEN Foundation, Olofin, on behalf of CLEEN Foundation and CJID, appreciated all resource persons and stakeholders for sharing their expertise on an issue as important as security.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance