• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • ICPC Secures Conviction of Rector for Running Unaccredited Degree Programmes

      Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

      Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

      Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Customs Partners US Mission to Prevent Expanded Visa Ban

      Nigeria Customs Partners China on Smarter Ports, Officer Training, Reforms

      Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Customs Moves Against 223 Importers in N379bn Permit Breach

      Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Customs Boss

      How Customs is Tightening Borders to Stop Illicit Cash Flows –…

      Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

      Codeine, Tramadol Worth ₦20.5bn Seized as Customs-NAFDAC Cooperation Deepens

  • National
    • Army Commander keeps 100 students in school

      Army Commander’s Compassion Keeps 100 Students in School in Zamfara

      Sam Obi Sponsors 500 students

      Sam Obi Sponsors 500 Students in Evergreen, SimplifiedIQ’s Education Program

      CG Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

      NIPR Hails customs Boss’ Tenure Extension as Evidence of Transformational Leadership

      Comptroller General Customs Bashir Adewale and his staffs with the representatives of the European Union, the German Embassy

      Customs Unveils Renewable Energy Handbook, Strengthens EU-Germany-GIZ Partnership

      University of Maiduguri

      UNIMAID Mass Comm becomes Faculty of Communication and Media Studies

    • Government
      • Northern leaders at Arewa Summit

        Northern Leaders Urge Action on Almajiri Crisis, Equitable Resources at Arewa…

        Saidu Ahmed Alkali,

        Kaduna-Kano Light Rail Underway as FG Targets ₦70bn Investment

        Beyond Hoes and Sticks: The Power of Education for Peace in…

        National Blood Service Agency

        FG Pledges Stronger Support for Blood Services, Seeks Scalable Interventions from…

        Tinubu’s Government Unveils Multi-Sectoral Initiatives to Boost Northern Region’s Development

  • Security
    • Nigerian Navy

      Navy to Establish  Base in Kebbi to Tackle Inland Waterway Crimes

      Army Commander keeps 100 students in school

      Army Commander’s Compassion Keeps 100 Students in School in Zamfara

      Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, receiving the land document from Governor Pastor Umo Bassey Eno in Akwa Ibom

      Akwa Ibom Boosts National Security with Land Donation for Nigerian Air…

      Military Troops in Action

      Army Troops, DSS Nab Arms Trafficker in Taraba, Recover Ammunition, Cash

      Inspector-General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun

      IG Reaffirms Commitment to Tackling Oil Theft, Upholding Human Rights

  • Features
    • Okello Oculi

      Okello Oculi: A Pan-Africanist Asteroid Burns out Forever By Is’haq Modibbo…

      Leon Usigbe

      Death, you can’t be Proud of this By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem 

      Tinubu’s Plateau Gambit – Yilwatda, 2027, and the Return of the…

      Ozumi and a recipient of a wheelchair

      Wheels of Hope: How a Simple Gift is Reshaping Lives at…

      Late Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari and Mansur Liman

      “Buhari: A Blunt, Honest Leader Who Laughed at His Own Predicament”

  • State
    • court Judiciary

      Lawyer Sues Housing Ministry, FHA Over Alleged Property Redesign

      Army Commander keeps 100 students in school

      Army Commander’s Compassion Keeps 100 Students in School in Zamfara

      Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, receiving the land document from Governor Pastor Umo Bassey Eno in Akwa Ibom

      Akwa Ibom Boosts National Security with Land Donation for Nigerian Air…

      Nigerian Army

      Army Denies Allegations of Misconduct in Imo Community

      Military Troops in Action

      Troops Repel Bandit Attacks in Katsina, Plateau, Recover Rustled Cattle, Sustain…

  • Event
    • court Judiciary

      Lawyer Sues Housing Ministry, FHA Over Alleged Property Redesign

      Sam Obi Sponsors 500 students

      Sam Obi Sponsors 500 Students in Evergreen, SimplifiedIQ’s Education Program

      Comptroller General Customs Bashir Adewale and his staffs with the representatives of the European Union, the German Embassy

      Customs Unveils Renewable Energy Handbook, Strengthens EU-Germany-GIZ Partnership

      University of Maiduguri

      UNIMAID Mass Comm becomes Faculty of Communication and Media Studies

      CG Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

      Tinubu’s Extension of Customs CG Bashir Adeniyi’s Tenure Draws Widespread Praise…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home Features NITDA: Equipping Journalists with  Digital Skills to Tackle Fake News, Unethical Reporting
  • Features

NITDA: Equipping Journalists with  Digital Skills to Tackle Fake News, Unethical Reporting

By
Abass Badmus
-
December 27, 2021

NITDA: Equipping Journalists with  Digital Skills to Tackle Fake News, Unethical Reporting
By Abbas Badmus

Journalism, like every other profession, has to keep evolving and unravelling to meet up with changing times. The profession in Nigeria has a unique history, that is similar to the country’s political evolution.

The Nigerian media played a key role in the colonial era, in helping to drive the British imperialists away. They also played a similar role in the days of military, to help drive the soldiers to the Barracks and for democracy to take shape.

Media professionals are needed in Nigeria to keep informing, educating and holding the government accountable to the people. But they can’t do this effectively if they lack the skills to detect fake news and lack the knowledge and patriotism to balance their reportage with national priorities.

This is where the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) chose to come in…

NITDA is responsible for coordinating Nigeria’s Information Technology sector and implementing the information technology policy of the Federal Government.

NITDA as the regulatory agency of information technology in Nigeria, is committed to the expansion of the digital space, the development of the journalist’s human capital and the promotion of robust, digital based journalism that serves the best and wider interest of the nation.

The agency has dentified 7 strategic pillars to be crucial to the development of the digital economy. These pillars are: Development Regulation, Digital literacy and Skills, Digital Transformation, Digital innovation & Entrepreneurship, Cybersecuriy, Emerging Technologies and Promotion of indigenous Content.

NITDA, therefore in collaboration with the Image Merchants Promotion Ltd (IMPR) – Publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential – and Penlight Centre for Investigative Journalism, recently organised a 3-day digital training for journalists in Abuja.

The training workshop, according to NITDA’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, was part of efforts meant to equip journalists with modern available tools and ethics required to do their jobs better and also serve the country effectively.

Declaring the Workshop open, Hajiya Hadiza admonished the participants to ensure that the knowledge acquired in the course of the training is beneficial to them in particular and the country at large.

She said: “There is no doubting the fact that we are in a digital era where everything is now based on computer and internet. It is therefore of interest to us at NITDA for our journalists to take advantage of avaible digital tools to do their jobs effectively and serve the country better.”

She however added that: “The digital era has come with its challenges, one of which is the overbearing presence of social media. Of course the unregulated  social media is a free market place where anything and everything goes – fake news, toxic contents, hate speech and inciting narratives – because there are no gate keepers or regulators to direct the traffic. The theme of this Workshop which emphasizes ethical reporting and the use of digital tools to detect fake news, is therefore very apt and timely.”

Read Also:

  • Lawyer Sues Housing Ministry, FHA Over Alleged Property Redesign
  • Navy to Establish  Base in Kebbi to Tackle Inland Waterway Crimes
  • Army Commander’s Compassion Keeps 100 Students in School in Zamfara

The chief executive officer of IMPR, Alhaji Yushau Shuaib, eulogised the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami and the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, for their unrelenting effort in bridging the digital divide across the country.

While encouraging the participants to pay  attention to every detail they are taught, he expressed optimism that the outcome of the training would be impactful and beneficial to the participants.

The 3-day workshop featured presentations by seasoned mainstream digital journalists and prominent PR Practioners such as Alhaji Yushau Shuaib, Inyene Ibanga, Nasir Lawal, Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, Kunle Adebajo, Dahiru Lawal, among others.

In his session, Shuaib shared his decades of experience with the participants and exposed them to how they can take advantage of social and online media to do their jobs better and avoid fake news and negative reporting that seem to be the disadvantage of the digital age.

In his own presentation, Dahiru Lawal, a fact-checking expert and author of “101 Fake News on EndSARS,” took the participants through how they can make use of digital tools to cross-check facts, verify pictures and videos before going to press with any piece of information at their disposal. In a very practical session, he taught the audience how to use Reverse Image Search, Google Earth and other tools to detect fake news, fake pictures and fake videos.

In his very interactive session, Abdulrahman Abdulraheem reminded the participants about the key ethics journalism and how to ensure responsible reporting. Using the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) standards, he reminded the participants about the ethics of factual reporting, objectivity, fairness, balance, political neutrality, respect for privacy, protection of minors, editorial independence, protection of sources, avoidance of gratification among others.

While the participants had a robust debate about the practicabilty or workability of some of the above ethical provisions based on theIr experiences and the challenges they face on the field, the presenter also told them to strike a very good balance between sensational reporting and protection of public interest. He told them to often think twice while covering some sensitive beats like communal clashes, security agencies, Government Houses, and avoid story angles that tend to spread hatred or division, incite people or aggravate an already bad crisis situation, even if those stories are true.

The above point caused a lengthy debate, with some participants insisting that all the reporter owes the society is fidelity to the truth and nothing but the truth, and that they an go ahead and write anything, from any angle irrespective of the consequences on the larger society. At the end of the presentation, the audience finally agreed that at all times, the country has to come first because there have to be peace and stability before the components  of the society like the media can function.

There were also other interactions and questions and answers sessions, where journalists compared notes and shared practical on-the-job experiences.

At the end of the workshop, participants were presented with certificates of participation and urged to put the training acquired into practice for the betterment of the profession and development of the nation.

Abbas Badmus a Staff Writer with TechDigest

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Digital skills
  • Fake News
  • NITDA
  • Unethical Reporting
Previous articleAdopting Intelligence Toward Boosting Security
Next articleMalami gets 79 awards, honours in 2021
Abass Badmus
Abass Badmus
Xing

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Customs Boss

JUST IN: Tinubu Extends Tenure of Customs CG Bashir Adeniyi

AI-generated disinformation looms ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections

PRNigeria Fact Check: Does Delayed Baby Umbilical Cord Clamping Have Health Benefits? 

Okello Oculi

Okello Oculi: A Pan-Africanist Asteroid Burns out Forever By Is’haq Modibbo Kawu

Department of State Security Service DSS

Army, DSS-Backed Hybrid Forces Neutralize 45 Bandits in Niger Operation

PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship 2025 logo

PRNigeria Opens Application for 2025 Young Communication Fellowship

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA

Troops Kill Three Terrorist Leaders in Sokoto Ambush, Recover Weapons

Leon Usigbe

Death, you can’t be Proud of this By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem 

Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Customs Boss

How Customs is Tightening Borders to Stop Illicit Cash Flows – CG Adeniyi 

FACT-CHECK: Did a N10bn Lafia Flyover Collapse Three Weeks After Commissioning in Nasarawa?

Tinubu’s Plateau Gambit – Yilwatda, 2027, and the Return of the Machiavellian Strategist By Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice

NAF combat-ready Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operators

NAF Bolsters Battlespace Dominance with New Combat-Ready UAV Operators

Recent Posts

  • Lawyer Sues Housing Ministry, FHA Over Alleged Property Redesign
  • Navy to Establish  Base in Kebbi to Tackle Inland Waterway Crimes
  • Army Commander’s Compassion Keeps 100 Students in School in Zamfara
  • Sam Obi Sponsors 500 Students in Evergreen, SimplifiedIQ’s Education Program
  • NIPR Hails customs Boss’ Tenure Extension as Evidence of Transformational Leadership
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Lawyer Sues Housing Ministry, FHA Over Alleged Property RedesignNavy to Establish  Base in Kebbi to Tackle Inland Waterway CrimesArmy Commander's Compassion Keeps 100 Students in School in ZamfaraSam Obi Sponsors 500 Students in Evergreen, SimplifiedIQ's Education ProgramNIPR Hails customs Boss' Tenure Extension as Evidence of Transformational LeadershipAkwa Ibom Boosts National Security with Land Donation for Nigerian Air Force BaseCustoms Unveils Renewable Energy Handbook, Strengthens EU-Germany-GIZ PartnershipUNIMAID Mass Comm becomes Faculty of Communication and Media StudiesTinubu’s Extension of Customs CG Bashir Adeniyi’s Tenure Draws Widespread Praise and ReactionsArmy Troops, DSS Nab Arms Trafficker in Taraba, Recover Ammunition, CashIG Reaffirms Commitment to Tackling Oil Theft, Upholding Human RightsNorthern Leaders Urge Action on Almajiri Crisis, Equitable Resources at Arewa Summit in KadunaArmy Denies Allegations of Misconduct in Imo CommunityTroops Repel Bandit Attacks in Katsina, Plateau, Recover Rustled Cattle, Sustain CasualtiesNavy Destroys 10 Illegal Refineries in Niger Delta
X whatsapp