Haruna Mohammed Salisu, the publisher of WikkiTimes and a U.S.-based Nigerian investigative journalist, is set to deliver the prestigious Robert Mayberry Memorial Lecture at Grand Valley State University in Michigan on February 19.
The annual lecture, organized by the School of Communications, invites distinguished speakers to share insights on pressing global issues.
This year, Salisu will address the challenges of practising journalism in Nigeria’s conflict zones.
Mr. Salisu, who faced persecution and incarceration under the administration of the Bauchi State Governor, as well as threats to his life and family members that forced him into exile, is pursuing graduate studies in the United States.
His lecture, titled “Reporting under Fire: The Role of Local Journalism in Nigeria’s Conflict Zones and Why America Should Care,” will focus on the critical role of local journalism in the northeast region with WikkiTimes experiences in reporting violence, corruption, and human rights abuses.
“I will travel to Michigan on Wednesday, February 19, to give the Robert Mayberry Memorial Lecture at Grand Valley State University. It’s a lifetime honour to be selected to give a talk in this prestigious school,” Salisu said.
The focus of his lecture will centre on the unique challenges faced by local journalists operating in northeast Nigeria, one of the country’s most conflict-ridden regions while reporting issues often overlooked by mainstream media.
According to the Publisher, the goal is to highlight how local journalism plays a vital role in documenting human rights violations, exposing corruption, and giving a voice to marginalized communities often ignored by mainstream media.
“I will talk to the audience about our experiences at WikkiTimes doing journalism in northeast Nigeria and how we risk our lives to provide critical information that is often overlooked. I will focus particularly on the threats of violence, censorship, inadequate resources, and a series of SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) lawsuits aimed at silencing small newsrooms,” he added.
He will also explore the geopolitical implications of supporting independent journalism in Nigeria stressing that a healthy and vibrant media landscape in the country is crucial for promoting democracy, regional stability, and global security.
“Nigeria, the US’s strategic partner in Africa, needs a healthy and vibrant media landscape to promote regional stability and global security and counter the spread of toxic propaganda in the age of information warfare. I will explain why it’s in the US’s strategic interest to continue supporting independent journalism in Nigeria.”
He emphasised that it is in the interest of the U.S. to support independent local media to preserve democracy, strengthen its values, promote human rights, and curtail toxic propaganda for peace and stability in a geopolitically important region.
Recall that Mr. Haruna and other WikkiTimes reporters had has faced series of threats of arrests and detention, several lawsuits from state and non-state actors for exposing wrongdoings and mismanagement of public funds in northern Nigeria.