Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The need for journalists to move beyond highlighting of problems to focus on resolving the problems through theur reportage was emmphasized during a Solutions Journalism training for at least 50 journalists in the Delta State capital under the auspices of the Asaba Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The Resource Person cum Lecturer, Mr Raphael Obasiohia, stressed that the training was aimed at exposing practitioners to insights in contemporary journalistic skills towards meeting vital demands of contemporary positive journalism globally.

He said that today’s journalists were under increasing pressure to sustain interest in news by the recipients, especially due to the cacophony of noise attempting to muffle and relegate the message or reportage of the various news modes.

According to him, reviving widespread interest in news and strengthening the relevance of Journalists require intentional slanting of questions that elicit responses that would address the problems or challenges in the society.

If the people are becoming scared of the trends in the news that merely highlight the problems with no offer of a possible way out of thosee problems, or at least mitigating them, then journalists need to be more empathic in their approach, including asking respindents questions around certain traumatic incidents or experiences.

Obasiohia, who said that his largely interactive approach to the training was advised by his belief that Solutions Journalism should be one of the refreshner trainings that reinforce the professional qualities of the practioners, stressed that it would be dangerous if members of the society were losing interest in the news.

In his opening remarks, the Chapel Chairman, Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye, noted that the training was part of the activities lined up for the Chapel’s three-day Seminar/Workshop 2025 to mark its Week and Second Anniversary of its current administration.

The training also accommodated journalists from other sister chapels and online media groups in a bid to further expose journalists to various opportunities available to enable them function effectively and help as development partners, Olannye said.

Normal event coverage is no longer enough to sustain a professional journalist, he noted, stressing the need for journalists to expand their knowledge base sp as to remain relevant in the profession in a fast-changing world.

He said that journalism is not all about fault detecting and attack on authorities but to explore, investigate, set agenda and proffer solutions as agents of positive change.

Olannye said, “The training is centered on Ethical Reporting, Development Communication and Solution Journalism.

“It is in our quest to change the current poor power generation and electricity supply in the country that informed the main theme of the Seminar.

“The theme is, “Understanding the Gov Oborevwori’s M.O.R.E Agenda: Meaningful Development in the Power Sector, a Panacea for Economic Recovery and Development of Delta State and Nigeria”

“So, we as journalists are expected to take the led by setting agenda for those in authority and also ensure we guide and give the needed support to enable them realize the set goals.

“This training is designed to create new idea to enable us learn because leaning is never exhustive, we keep leaning till we die.

“As journalists, we need to sharpen up to meet the current trend in journalism, that is balancing our daily reportage with a mindset of proffering solutions to the problems of our society and not to aggravate it through our reports.

“This is because what we report as journalists determines how safe and protected is our life and the entire society.

“So, we must be ethical, responsible and civil in the way we carry out our duties in order not to create more problems in an already tensend environment.”

He thanked the state government for partnering the Asaba Correspondents Chapel in the training programme while urging other stakeholders to extend support to the chapel for subsequent trainings of its members for greater results.

In his remarks, the Chairman, NUJ Delta State Council, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, lauded the Chapel for organising a resounding press week, noting that journalists need to be updated regularly to remain relevant and perform optimally.

“This is where this training becomes very important, ‘Solution Journalism’ -reporting what works not just what is spoken.

“I want to appeal to us not to see this training as another talk shop but an opportunity to learn something new that will make us better,” Oyowe said.

The event was highlighted by the breakout session and the question-and-answer session, which was apparently the most engaging as the participants took very active part in the concluding session.

Members of the Asaba Correspondents Chapel were joined in the training by journalists from the Indigenous Chapel, The Pointer Newspaper and others.