Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Journalists in Anambra State have been told to embrace investigative reporting as a way of promoting accountability in governance and the rule of law in the country and Anambra State in particular.
This was the thrust of a one-day training on Investigative reporting for journalists from various media organisations in the state.
The workshop themed: “Reporting From a Treacherous Environment,” was organised by Ikenga Media & Cultural Awareness Initiative (IMCAI), publishers of Ikengaonline with the support of MacArthur Foundation facilitated by Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).
Addressing the participants, the First female Professor of Mass Communication in Nigeria and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Paul University Awka, Professor Stella Okunna, urged journalists to go beyond ordinary reporting to painstakingly carry out investigations that would stand them out.
Okunna, in a paper titled “Fundamentals of News, Investigative Reporting/Fact-Checking” co-presented with a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Dr Henry Duru, advised journalists not to rely on artificial intelligence and other unconfirmed sources for news gathering and reporting.
She also urged them to embrace fact-checking to report truthfully and unearth accurate information before publishing or broadcasting information available to them.
Also in his presentation veteran journalist Uzor Maxim Uzoatu enjoined journalists to uphold the ethical codes of the profession in all they do.
Uzoatu reminded journalists that they have the fundamental responsibility of ensuring that democracy stands the test of time without any form of compromise, prejudice, or hatred in their reportage, adding that a good name is far better than fortune.
Editor-in-Chief of Ikengaonline, Uche Ugboajah, charged journalists in the state to dwell more on Investigative Journalism to promote accountability and transparency.
Ugboaja urged the participants to get involved and focus on producing content that reveals covered and under-reported issues in the public interest.
He also encouraged them to imbibe techniques to upscale their skill to produce quality investigative reporting for the betterment of society.
Earlier, the program coordinator, Dr. Chido Onumah, revealed that the essence of the training was to build the capacity of Journalists to investigate towards unravel hidden issues of bad governance, corruption, and criminality in South-East, Nigeria.
Ikengaonline reports that the training climaxed with the issuance of certificates to journalists who participated in the exercise.
