International Press Center, a Lagos based outfit, trained and exposed 40 journalists in Northern-Nigeria on using of freedom of information and fact-checking tools to combat information disorder. The workshop drew participants from various newsroom across the region.
The two-day workshop which was held between Wednesday and Thursday, in Bafra International Hotel, Kaduna State, was supported by European Union under the democratic governance in Nigeria
Imanche Otache, a journalist from DBS newsroom told WikkiTimes that the workshop blew his mind, adding that he would contribute to his society.
He said, “this workshop has been a mind-blowing one and sincerely been grateful to be part of what happened”. “We live in the society where everyone wants to have something personal”.
He further stated IPC training would prepare him ahead as a journalist, stating that before he thought submitting FOI comes with several plea before having the documents.
“But this workshop has opened my eyes to the fact that it is my right. It is even right of a common man in the street”, he said to WikkiTimes.
Otache further added that journalists have to go there and ask tough questions, saying that to extract relevant news for public consumption.
“I’m very happy and honored. And I pray that other organizations and media houses would go affiliation with international agencies to ensure workshops are organized not just for journalists but for other areas to better our society”, he said.
A Katsina based journalist with Gram FM, Fauziyya Lawal said that IPC had impacted her with knowledge of fact-checking and FOI.
“I have learned a lot of things like fact-checking, news writing and importantly using freedom of Information”, the Katsina Journalist said.
She emphasised that she learned a lot in the workshop, thanking the organizers and facilator for wonderful session.
Fortune Abang, an assistant editor and chief correspondent of News Agency of Nigeria said fact-checking and combating informati9n disorder using FOI were important to him.
“With the margin and technological challenges increasing everyday when it has gotten to do with the spread of fake news and lack of adequate man-power”, Abang told this reporter.
According to him, to contain these problems that is posing a big challenge not just to the media but to the society at large, adding that no one can predict the next step because with AI, a lot has happened.
In his words, “having this workshop is very apt because it is like a refreshing means of discovering and improving one’s knowledge. Because arising, getting to network, building with future fact-checkers”.
“I learned again and I have done this several times with Dubawa, Premium Times and other organizations as well as International agencies”.
He added that the two-day capacity training enabled him to share experimce, network with people and getting to know more by experience through FOI.
He said he knew in the workshop that somebody has applied FOI for more than 15 times.
“It is just a call to duty that we can win this war against fake news. Not just individually but through workshops like this. People who come near and far across the country”, he said.
He further urged that there is a need to also sustain family unity as a community of Fact-checkers, and share futures to fight everything about fake news.
“As going back to step down the knowledge again, you need to also have backing of IPC and other modern organization that encourages knowledge and skills development of fact-checkers through capacity building”, the assistant editor said.
