For three days, 21 female journalists were trained in digital skills that can help them self-develop, check fake news, and produce meaningful contents capable of driving social change in this age of misinformation and disinformation. OYEBOLA OWOLABI, who attended the training, reports
The three-day training was particularly instructive to empower female journalists with digital skills to fact-check information to forestall the endemic misinformation and disinformation that has polluted the media space. It was organised by Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, a journalist until about five months ago, as an impact project following her 2020 training on ‘Media Responsibility in an Age of Disinformation,’ with the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) Edward Murrow Program for Journalists.
Participants were nominated by the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), various media houses, Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), and Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), among others. The training focused on social media journalism, podcasting, writing a fact-check report, video production and editing, among others, as well as pet talks on transforming journalism careers.
Ms. Belo-Osagie, who is now with The Conversation Africa, a research-based agency, said her time at the IVLP exposed her to the challenges of disinformation, and so she saw the need for journalists to be equipped with relevant skills to check fake news. She said: “I am privileged to have such an opportunity to organise this training. When I started journalism 17 years ago, it was sufficient to only know how to write and report. Computer skills were just becoming a thing, and I was a star for just knowing how to type without looking at my keyboard.
“Today, journalism practice has evolved, and it is no longer enough to just know how to write. Journalists now need digital skills. Non-professionals beat us to it, resulting in the rise of influencers not trained in journalism ethics doing a lot of damage in the information space.
“This IVLP impact award training, therefore, provides an opportunity to share this knowledge on a practical level with practising female journalists whose roles include news and investigative reporting, producing programmes for radio, television, and reaching online audiences across various platforms. A limited number of participants were taken to ensure adequate support and ample benefit from the hands-on training.”
According to her, the choice of women as beneficiaries of the training was informed by the perceived discrimination female journalists’ face in the newsroom. She said: “The training aims to help 20 female journalists in various career stages bridge the digital divide and gain fact-checking skills to check misinformation and disinformation. The choice of women as beneficiaries of the training is informed by the discrimination that women journalists face in the newsroom. In many media houses in Nigeria, few women occupy positions in senior management.
“By gaining specialised skills that help bridge the digital gap, these women will expand the army of professionals in the media/news/information space. They will also better fight fake news and produce much needed quality content that support societal development,” she said.
Counsel
On her part, Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, (WSCIJ), Motunrayo Alaka, urged the participants to be responsible by taking up leadership roles wherever they find themselves. She admonished women to intentionally take up space wherever they find themselves. The WSCIJ boss told the participants that the WSCIJ has a lot of grants and opportunities they can benefit from if only they can apply.
“Women need to be seen and heard, and now is the time to do that. Influencers and bloggers with no professional training have populated the media space with mismanaged information. So, it is time for professional journalists, especially women, to get equipped with the right tools so they can participate. Women should be intentional about taking up space wherever they find themselves; not overbearing or unmindful of others, but making sure they take leadership roles,” she said.
Also speaking, founder of Women in Technology (W-Tec), Mrs. Oreoluwa Lesi, encouraged participants to key into the many opportunities available for women in information technology. She hailed Ms Belo-Osagie for putting the training together and urged participants to take what they have learnt to other women in their various places of work.
The training/facilitators
The training itself covered a wide range of digital skills applicable in modern journalism, and facilitators did an excellent job of living up their calling. Kenneth Kiunga of Google News Initiative took participants through an array of Google tools that make work easier for journalists, as well as fact-checking tools, images and websites.
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While Titilope Fadare of Premium Times trained the participants on Mobile Journalism and how to produce videos for news reporting, Audience Manager of The Conversation Africa, Mr. Usifo Omozokpea, gave an extensive training in Digital Skills for Media Excellence, with particular focus on social media journalism, podcasting, one-minute videos. He also gave hints and tools for easy transcribing and info-graphics for print journalists, while not leaving out tips on producing engaging one-minute videos.
The duo of Ayomide Omoniyi and Tarabina Lesley of W-Tec took their time to teach participants the essence and trick of producing and edit graphics and videos, using mobile applications on the phone; while Oluseyi Awojulugbe of Africa Check trained the participants on how to fact check and write a report. Justina Asishana of The Nation also took participants through her career journey as a way to encourage and motive them on being the best in the career they chose.
Take-home message
It was not only the facilitators who had the responsibility of teaching; participants also shared tips on skills and information, which help them work smarter and get better outcomes. This was tagged ‘Each One Teach One’. They also shared their take homes from the training.
Merit Ibe from the Sun newspapers said: “I have been in this profession in the last 20 years, but this training by Kofoworola Belo-Osagie has exposed me to new skills and ideas in journalism. Thank you IVLP, and thank you Kofoworola.”
Ekaette Bassey from The Nation said: “I am so happy to have been a part of this training. This training is very special and a good start for my career having just joined the journalism field and I am given this opportunity to learn. I remember doing a story which almost got my organisation into trouble because the information was gotten from a parody twitter account. So this training means a lot to me because now I know I have to fact check myself before going to press.”
Abiodun Azi from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said: “I thank IVLP and Ms. Belo-Osagie for this great opportunity. I came not expecting much but the three-day training surpassed my expectations; it was loaded and I am grateful.”
Oyebola Owolabi of The Nation said: “This training has opened my eyes to new and more effective ways of practising journalism. This training is a testament to the fact that journalism as a profession keeps evolving every day, and professionals have to keep themselves abreast of new developments to remain relevant. Thank you to IVLP and Ms. Belo-Osagie for this timely and functional training.”