WikkTimes, a Bauchi-based investigative and data journalism outlet has launched an e-paper where a number of its compelling investigations and stories that hold power to account would be archived.
The 20-page first edition contains stories of social injustice, insurgency, organised theft and solution-based content.
Haruna Mohammed Salisu, publisher of WikkiTimes said the initiative is an alternative way of reaching the platform’s audience spread across different segmentations.
READ: WikkiTimes Advocates Powerful Collaboration, Factual Accountability Journalism
“We all know that technology has altered what we know and hold dearly as media worldwide,” Haruna said. “A diverse array of business models, platforms, distribution channels and media consumption habits continue to evolve and newer faces through innovation in digital media continue to shape the media industry. The pervasive and disruptive nature of the media, which is primarily shaped by technology has forced digitally native publishers to innovate, those failing to do so are lost in a haze of platform agnosticism, fighting for audience ownership. Audiences are constantly migrating across a plethora of platforms and social networks. It is in the best interest of WikkiTimes to continue to evolve; migrate with the audience and give them additional means to read and engage with our journalism.”
In addition, Haruna said such an initiative remains a solution to a series of attacks being launched on the platform’s website and social media handles. Between April and November, WikkiTimes experienced more than five cyber attacks.
“Secondly, we are launching the e-paper because of the constant attack on our handles and website. WikkiTimes is a victim of consistent cyber-attack, presumably because of the adversarial journalism we are doing. We expose corruption and hold power to account, and because of that, we run into trouble with the ‘powers that be.’ Our website is routinely attacked, and sometimes they succeed in bringing the website down; sometimes for days. Our Facebook pages are reported on a daily basis; therefore, launching the e-paper is also another way to archive our content and continue to reach and engage with our audiences,” Haruna added.
“Sometime in April, our website was attacked and the database was deleted,” he continued. “It took us the grace of backup and some other resources to restore the website, but not fully. We lost a few stories published some weeks before the attack.”
The publisher explained that the website experienced attempted attacks towards the end of November. This was after its Facebook handles were brought down in October and earlier in November.
WikkiTimes understands that its investigations are exposing rots across various levels of government and society. Hence, trolls are being hired to continuously report the page.
You can get the e-Paper here
