A two-day intensive workshop organized by the International Press Center (IPC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, trained over 40 journalists from the South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria. The workshop aimed to equip journalists with the skills and knowledge to effectively utilize the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and tools for fact-checking to combat false news.
Funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by IPC as lead partner, the workshop also sought to deepen participants’ knowledge of inclusive reportage of gender in politics and election-related discourses. The theme of the workshop was “Post-election Reporting: Using FOI Act & other Investigative Methodologies to Report Democratic Governance & Electoral Accountability Issues.”
The Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, emphasized the importance of fact-checking as a crucial process in dispelling misinformation and deliberate distortions of information. Arogundade demonstrated the use of different AI tools in fact-checking news stories, videos, audio, and image sources on various social media platforms.
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Renowned journalist and former editor of The Guardian Nigeria, Edetaen Ojo, highlighted the vital role of regular access to information and data in enhancing a journalist’s ability to meet professional standards. He underscored the significance of engaging the FOI Act as a valuable tool for journalists interested in fact-checking and investigative reporting.
Dr. Titilayo Remilekun Osuagwu, a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, emphasized the need for journalists to be more deliberate in balancing their reportage to reflect the views of both genders in society and ensure their equal representation in the coverage of election beats.
The workshop included practical sessions where journalists were divided into groups to learn how to draft an FOI request, conduct fact-checks, and present their findings. The training was considered incisive and professionally rewarding by participants.