Media practitioners, civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been called upon to pull resources together to advocate conflict-sensitive reportage.

They have also been urged on fact-checking in order to forestall the proliferation of misinformation or disinformation that can heat up the polity.

This was made known during a two-day capacity building for journalists and CSOs organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in collaboration with INEC.

Organised to reduce the recent proliferation of misinformation online, the training addressed insensitive reportage and its attendant dangers in Nigeria.

The training, which was for journalists in Nigeria’s southwest, focused on the technicalities and strategies needed to decipher news items that are credible enough for reporting irrespective of what platforms such pieces of news come from.

It also highlighted the importance of being sensitive, objective and unbiased while reporting incidences.

The training had in attendance about 65 participants from media houses and CSOs across the southwest.

The Director of CDD, Idayat Hassan, represented by Austin Aigbe, reiterated the need for sensitizsation of both journalists and officials of CSOs to disseminate factual and objective news reports in order not to trigger or escalate conflict through their reports.

He also encouraged all participants to maximise the opportunities provided by the workshop.

The session harped on synergy between media and CSOs as partners on election matters.

Photo source: Africa Progress Panel