” As Stallion times hold One Day seminar for Journalists in Kogi.
Praise Ojochegbe Lokoja
Practicing Journalists in Nigeria have been challenged to latch into the social media space with their professional skills to rescue the industry from novices in order to ensure reliability and credibility of news items dish out to the populace.
Isa Ali , a Research Scholar and Digital Forensic Expert gave the charge at a One Day Seminar organised by Stallion times Media in Conjunction with MacArthur Foundation with the theme: Effective use of social media for CSOs and media held over the weekend in Lokoja.
In his lead paper presentation; the Basics of Social Media, Isa Ali noted that in as much as social media has become a means for social interaction by all and sundry with its open abuse ,charged professional Journalists to cease the opportunity by publishing , accurate , fair and balance stories to the satisfaction of the populace.
He said, the issue of flagrant manipulation of social media space by citizen Journalists, professional journalists are expected to exhibit high moral code by maintaining transparency, Attribution, fact checking and to retract and correct stories that is found to be incorrect
He added that for news on the social media to be effective, its contents should be engaging through upholding of professionalism, avoid sensationalism and ensure maintenance of timing of active period of the audiences.
He further explain that for the social media contents to have impact, the journalists should understand their audience personas, insights and to know their preference in order to assist in serving them better.
He said for a news item to catch the contending times of the readers, journalists should endeavour to use captivating headlines, in a form of story telling and lace it with eye catching images and pictures.
According to him, for desired impact, Journalists should try as much as possible to foster sense of community relationship with audience using User Generated Content, Hashtag campaign to create brand, unify conversation and to encourage audience participation in the news items.
” Your story must have human angle,focus on impact , empathise and be conscious of the sensitivity of the audiences. Having these in mind, your readers will stick to you, and ever ready to authenticate other sources from your story.
” Social media is a powerful tool and it is only when it used ethically that the readers and audience will develop informed judgement of which platform to stick to and those to avoid and by this , they are weeding chaffs from the grains. And as an ambassador of your organisation, your family, your platform,you are expected to stay connected with the audience and keep updating yourself in ever changing digital environment” he counsel.
The digital Forensic Expert, while lamenting at the growing waves of fake news , misinformation disinformation and all other news vices associated with social media, charged professional journalists to demonstrate their skills by dishing only news that are true in their entirety thereby making the audience to stay with their platforms. .
