By Meletus EZE
A cross section of Journalists on Monday in Abuja, called for more investment in fact-checking to ensure dissemination of accurate and balanced information.
TBI Africa said the Journalists spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of one week media training on fact-checking on the Criminal Justice and Anti-Corruption sector.
The training was organised for 20 Journalists in the North Central region of Nigeria by the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) in collaboration with the Macarthur Foundation, an NGO.
A Journalist, Mr Olugbenga Adenikin, a reporter with the PTCIJ emphasised that knowledge development investment on fact-checking would boost reportage in the sector.
Adenikin said the training was apt because it was coming at a time the Journalism profession was marred by fake news.
According to him, there is a lot of false news and misrepresentation of facts all over the country; and which is capable of causing civil unrest if not urgently addressed.
He said that the dissemination of unverified information could lead to violence among people; adding that as the fourth estate of the realm, journalists had the responsibility to ensure that only sincere and credible information was disseminated.
“Also, we must be good custodians of values in a democratic society, we are not supposed to be purveyors of fake news and constitutionally, we are bound to report truthful information.
“This training is very good and recommended for Journalists across Nigeria, to help stir action against corruption in the justice system.”
Miss Evelyn Okaku, a Judiciary reporter for the Premium Times Newspaper, said that the training was not only impactful, but timely in helping journalists to understand how to verify information sources.
Okaku decried the growing trend of fake news, which she said was hindering the growth of the media profession.
“This kind of knowledge training should be focused on every sector, but particularly the Judiciary, to hasten judicial processes in the justice system,” Okaku said.
Another Journalist, Mr Shola Ojo, a correspondent of the Sun Newspaper, called for capacity training to expose media practitioners to operational knowledge of fact-checking in order to promote balanced reporting.
“When they (journalists) are sure of the facts they have, our credibility is guaranteed, therefore there is need for knowledge training on fact-checking, to promote growth,” Ojo said.
On her part, a Freelance journalist, Miss Jane Orikri, said fact-checking had become imperative because it would bring about accountability in Journalism.
“Fact-checking is key to ensuring sustainable social change in the traditional and digital media space in Nigeria.
“This is why it is important for every journalist to gain a good understanding of fact-checking to ensure truth and objectivity in news reporting, which the training focuses on.
“Even if the desire to address corruption is not achieved at once, the efforts will always bring development and enable citizens to hold their leaders accountable,” Orikri said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mboho Eno, Programme Manager/Advocacy of PTCIJ, said that the training was borne out of the need for journalists to always examine information before reporting.
“Our aim is to encourage the participants to carry out investigations in the justice sector as an arm of government and the last hope of the common man,” Eno said.
According to him, the training which started on Monday in Abuja, and which is also scheduled to hold in Lagos, Kano, Adamawa and Anambra states, will end on March 31.
