RIVERS NUJ ORGANIZES WORKSHOP FOR JOURNALISTS

 

By Dr Helen Chimezie

The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, held a one day capacity building workshop for journalists as part of the line up of activities for its 2024 Press Week, 'themed Media and Sustenance of Democracy: A New Paradigm Shift'. 

The Rivers State NUJ Chairman in his opening remark at the training stated that, "We cannot have press week without having a workshop, which has to do with the job we are doing. In this modern day, you must learn, relearn, and unlearn".

Stanley charged the participants to listen attentively to the facilitators, believing that at the end of the day, journalists will take home something tangible that will enhance their practice.

He further noted that journalists staying updated is key in staying competitive with counterparts in other parts of the world.

The workshop on 'Casting News Headline , Ethical Reporting, Blogging and Content Creation for Journalists, which took place at the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Consulate, Port Harcourt, had three seasoned journalists as facilitators - Ignatius Chukwu, Ann Godwin and Boye Salau.

In a brief remark while facilitating his session, Ignatius Chukwu,  regional editor of Business Day, appealed with the State Council to continue to organize such trainings, so as to improve the capacity of journalists in the State.

He commended journalists in the State for turning up for the event, and advised the leadership of the State Council to introduce teachings in the course of Council Congress meetings.

He further noted that the NUJ should be part of government. Stressing that the NUJ is the fourth estate of the realm, so government should budget for NUJ. Giving the union a vehicle according to him should not be a favour to the union.

The Guardian South-South Bureau Chief, Ann Godwin while presenting on Blogging and Content Creation for Journalists stated that content is very key for career advancement. According to her, "Social media has gone beyond social interactions. As the URLs of social media handles are now required in filling some applications. So, journalists should be conscious of the contents they post on their social media handles."

Also speaking at the training, Boye Salau, a top editor in the Tide newspaper, when speaking on Ethics, advised journalists to avoid plagiarism. According to him, "ethical reporting helps build public trust with audience. So, it is essential to be ethical when reporting."

He urged journalists to continue to exhibit strong moral standards, uphold the ethics of the profession and use the knowledge acquired from the training to improve on their practice.

Speaking at the end of the event, the Chairman of the Federal Information Chapel Dr Helen Nsirim who was a participant at the workshop expressed delight that the workshop was facilitated by senior colleagues in the State Council. According to her, it was quite educative, and more like a family learning session.

The high point of the training was the presentation of certificates to participants.

The event was attended by the President of NUJ Zone F, Opaka Dokubo, National Deputy President of the  Nigeria Association of Women Journalists(NAWOJ), Dr Lilian Ogabu, Rivers State NUJ Chairman, Stanley Job Stanley, Rivers State NAWOJ Chairman, Susan Serekara-Nwikhana , and over 70 journalists drawn from print, electronic and online media.

Ends/