The Partners for Peace in the Niger Delta, Cross River state chapter has concluded training for journalists and media influencers in the state on peace journalism, crisis reporting, and Data-driven journalism.
The workshop was organized to help selected Nigerian journalists effectively cover conflicts and other sensitive issues in their various fields.
Media personnel were drawn from online, print, and electronic media across different newsrooms in the state.
Participants were taught diverse topics, including Peace Journalism, Crisis communication, and reporting.
At the training, one of the facilitators, Efio-Ita Nyok, described Peace Journalism as a paradigm shift in the field of Journalism, which seems to promote a more balanced and constructive approach to reporting on conflict and issues that have the potential to disturb peace.
He said understanding the concept of Peace Journalism involves recognizing the need for a more balanced, constructive, and solution-oriented approach to reporting conflicts.
On his part, State Coordinator Partners for Peace in Niger Delta, Cross River State Chapter, Ukorebi Essien, said under reportage of crisis and violence in the state is what really prompted the training.
“We discovered that crisis and violence in Cross River State have been under-reported, so we are using this medium to encourage and spur Journalist in the state to do an in-depth investigation while reporting, especially in the area of Peace Journalism, instead of escalating crisis through their reportage, they can deescalate and also profers solution while reporting this crisis in Cross River State.
“As partners for Peace, we build collaboration, and this is an opportunity for us to extend our partnership to Journalists and media personnel in Cross River State to keep reporting, not just our activities but crises-related activities in Cross River State.
He hinted that, on the 21st of September, the organization will mark World Peace Day, and it intends to engage Peace Actors in the state to discuss peace-building methods and how to restore Cross River State to its once peaceful status.
Facilitators at the workshop expressed one thing in common: “It is the duty of journalists to provide the public with truthful, factual, balanced, and objective information.
National Secretary for the group, Moses Abang, informed that P4P has been at the forefront of peace-building activities in Cross River State, ranging from community advocacy, capacity building of community gatekeepers, dialogue, and mediation, which have united warring communities in the state to coexist in peace.