Nigerian Journalists in 21st century shouldn’t have business with poverty says Ajikobi, fact checking instructor
Amid the glowing economic crunch facing media industry in Nigeria, a tech instructor, David Ajikobi has challenged Journalists to develop right attitude and to leverage on modern techniques to undertake their tasks.
This is just as he said , application of modern technology in the practice of the profession has opened latitude of opportunities for Journalists desirous of breaking the shackles of poverty and log on to prosperity even in the face of present harsh economic realities facing the media industry in Nigeria.
The Editor , Africa Check, David Ajikobi made the disclosure on Saturday at the second day of the Two day workshop on use of iverify and fact checking organised by International Press Centre IPC in collaboration with UNDP held on Saturday in Abuja.
The Editor Africa Check, stated that , despite the economic challenges, occasioned by epileptic payment of salaries and emoluments facing media practitioners, said, there are more than enough opportunities abound now more than before for journalists to tap in for the enhancement of their careers.
He said, in the advent of fake news, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech that habe brought information highwaves to its kneels , Journalists with knowledge of how to use various tools for fact checking the stories, images and tapes would be able to break even at will.
He noted that, the bane of economic growth for media professionals is the inability of some to pull out of stàtusquo to distinguish their works from the ordinary, which has created windows for non professionals to peddling all sorts of lies for pecuniary and other mundane considerations.
He said, lots of organisations are looking for journalists who can use his works to solve complex society challenges, adding that such Journalists would be an inch away from being identified for fellowship and other useful collaborations with reputable organisations and institutions both within and outside the country.
Ajikobi while treating the topic: fact checking to promote electoral integrity , said , the role of fact checker journalists become increasingly important as both state actors and non state actors in the electioneering process have been adopting unethical methods to woo electorate for support.
He said, Journalists must continue to ask questions and questions the answers untill there are no more questions to ask, stressing that in the process, facts are being checked with the aid of special Apps designed to aid practitioners in passing relevant and accurate message to the audience.
He warned journalists covering elections to be mindful of booby traps in form of images, tapes being voices and visuals aimed at deceiving the unsuspecting audience, saying, leveraging on fact checking techniques to dish out stories makes one a better Journalist likely to attract organisations to the work.
He advised the participants to organised themselves into groups with registered names to keep revolutionalising the industry with the Proper application of knowledge gathered.
He disclosed that there are more than enough organisations and institutions looking for those with relevant capacity and productivity to encourage with their resources, saying , to fact checking stories have become a global huge income earners.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade hinted that the workshop was packaged to resolve the whirlwind of misinformation, disinformation fake or false news on the credibility of elections outcomes, stressing that participants have been released as an eagle to make a difference in the reportage of the off cycle elections in kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.
He advised them to put to use, the knowledge acquired and become the trainees– trainers to others yet to be so endowed.
He commended the participants and resource persons for their commitment to the training and promised for a mutual working relationship for those whose further works will justify the worthwhile of the workshop.
