By DESTINY Isinwa
As Imo State Governorship election holds on 11th November,2023, International Press Centre (IPC) and Center for Media and Society (CEMESO) have trained journalists in Imo State on effective elections reportage.
The two days media roundtable engagement that took place on Wednesday and Thursday at Rockview hotel Owerri was funded by European Union under component 4: support to the media of the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria-Phase 2(EU-SDGN II) project.
The training was to strengthen the journalists for fair, accurate, ethical and inclusive reporting of the electoral processes and elections. And to expose journalists to the best practices in reporting November 11th 2023 Imo governorship election with emphasis on media role in promoting peaceful elections.
In a welcome address delivered by Melody Akinjiyan who is the IPC Lagos-Nigeria Programme Officer, she disclosed that the event was organized to critically examine the interconnections between the public, the media and elections, knowing that the media has a critical agenda setting role to support the integrity and credibility of elections especially in ensuring that citizens are adequately mobilized and the entire process is open to public scrutiny.
Delivering on the topic “Bringing Gender Perspective to Bear on Imo Governorship Elections, and Understanding conflict and reporting for peace in Imo Governorship election” respectively, Ms. Angela Agoawike who is the CEO of Omalicha Radio Station urged for encouragement of women in politics and for journalists to ensure that candidates in the forthcoming election incorporate gender issues in their campaigns, document campaign promises, report women positively without their marital status as the state of women’s marriage is not indicative of the women’s capabilities and that physical attributes of a woman is not indicative of her leadership capabilities or her ability to execute policies.
Mr. Ayo Aluko-Olokun who represented the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade delivered the “Media and election App, the code of election coverage and other issues of safety” where he educated journalists on Equitable Access, Professionalism and Social Responsibility, Ethical Conduct, Hate speech and Incitement, Conflict Sensibility, Awareness, Monitoring, Implementation and Enforcement and Endorsement.
The founder of Journalism Clinic, Mr. Taiwo Obe talked on Impactful reporting of the elections: focusing on people-interest issues and telling stories that matters. And Covering the Imo Elections using digital tools and apps.
The Imo State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sylvia Agu delivered paper on the “Role of the media in providing voter education particularly the need to counter disinformation and misinformation and provide credible information before, during and after the election” wherein she promised credible, free and fair 2023 Imo State governorship election.
CEMESO presented interactive sessions moderated by the former Imo State NUJ Chairman, Sir. Innocent Igwe on the topic “Deepening the delivery of voters education towards the Imo Governorship election (across media platforms). Issues: vote buying, the inclusion of marginalised groups. Formats.
Meanwhile, journalists in Imo were also equipped with various resourceful materials like Reporting Electoral Campaign Finances:An FOI Manual for Journalists, Reporting Elections and Democratic Accountability: A resource manual, Encouraging Professionalism:Final report on the monitoring of Media coverage of 2019 elections, and The Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage.