Bayelsa Guber: EU, IPC, CEMESO Sensitise Journalists on Effective Reportage

Olusegun Samuel and Julius Osahon in Yenagoa

The International Press Centre (IPC) in collaboration with the European Union and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) has trained journalists in Bayelsa State on effective reportage of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

The training, which involved over 65 journalists from different organisations, saw journalists engaged on the best practices towards the effective and adequate coverage of the November 11 governorship polls.

The engagement also featured a roundtable discussion, lectures and interactive sessions with various resource persons, including the representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Bayelsa State Police Command.

Speaking during the training, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Mr. Lanre Arogundade, said the IPC believes that the media have an important role to play in ensuring that citizens have credible information about the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

He said: “The citizens make their choices on the basis of reliable information. But it is the journalists that work in the media houses.” 

“We need to organise this programme for journalists to look at different aspects of our responsibility in the electoral process.

‘We are interested in the issues of people who are generally underrepresented in society and who don’t have voices-the women, the young people, and others. That is why we talk about inclusivity. We feel that if journalists would understand all these things, then they will be in a position to go out there and do stories that will be in the public interest.

“We are interested in knowing what the politicians want to do but we are more interested in journalists bringing to the attention of the politicians what the people really want them to do for them if they get elected. So that is the essence of this workshop.

“We want to see accurate information, we don’t want disinformation or misinformation to take over the atmosphere such that people will not know what to believe, and it is the journalists that will provide accurate and reliable information.

“We want the media or the journalists to give more public enlightenment on the electoral processes, and this is what we call voter education. What are the INEC preparations? What are the preparations of security agents like the police for the election?

“How will the voting take place? How can people locate their polling units? Where people have problems or questions to ask about the election, to whom should they go? If we do that too, we will be contributing to credible election.

“You heard what the police said about the safety tips and how journalists should dress while going out to cover the election and some of the things they have to do. And also from the side of INEC, more things that journalists can get to inform the public about. We expect more training like this for journalists before the Bayelsa State governorship election.”

Also speaking, Executive Director, CEMESO, Dr. Akin Akingbulu, said the roundtable is one in the series of activities that IPC and CEMESO have put together for media professionals and other stakeholders as part of a targeted programme during the electoral cycle in Nigeria.

Akingbulu, posited that the task of strengthening the country’s democracy is an unending one, as democratic governance continues to be a work in progress, and citizens and institutions have the responsibility to continuously laying building blocks towards its consolidation.

“I believe that for the media in Nigeria to continue to perform its responsibilities in the electoral process, at least two things are essential-it must continue to re-equip and engage its environment,” he said.