By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
A two-day capacity-building training for journalists in Benue State organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa) commenced on Monday at the prestigious Batoha resort, Makurdi, with the organizers calling on journalists to prioritize fact-checking as a critical safeguard against disinformation.
CDD’s Program Officer, Mr. Raji Olatunji, maintained at the commencement of the training, that fact-checking, verification and ethical reporting are a critical safeguard against the spread of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation which are veritable tools for violence and restiveness.
The capacity-building training themed: Strengthening Information Literacy and Social Cohesion aims at endowing participants with the ability for fact-checking, ethical reporting and verification techniques.
Mr. Olatunji, said “the workshop was part of an intervention aimed at strengthening information literacy and promoting social cohesion in four states: Benue, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau”.
He explained that the training targeted ninety (90) journalists in Benue State, with 45 participants trained on the first day and another 45 scheduled for the second day.
According to Mr. Olatunji, “journalists are deliberately prioritised because of their central role in shaping the information ecosystem, particularly in an era marked by disinformation”.
The project, he further explained, “was designed against the backdrop of recurring crises in Northern Nigeria, where false information has often been weaponised to incite violence and chaos”, noting that “strengthening journalists’ capacity in fact-checking and ethical reporting was essential, given their influence as key stakeholders in information dissemination”.
“CDD had before this training, conducted a community baseline assessment in Obi, Otukpo and Gwer West local government areas of Benue State to understand the grassroots information ecosystem. Our findings revealed that the media remained one of the most trusted sources of information for the people, underscoring the need to continually build journalists’ professional competence”, Mr. Olatunji said.
He emphasized that the expectation from the training was for journalists to exercise greater caution in their work by verifying all claims before publication, to avoid being exploited by disinformation actors to destabilise society.
During the sessions, participants were taken through practical techniques for verifying images, videos, locations and documents. The training examined the concept of information manipulation and disorder, including misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, as well as the principles and processes of fact-checking.
Journalists were also introduced to essential verification tools to enable effective ethical reporting standards, warning signs of false information, and strategies for balancing speed with accuracy in news reporting.
Practical exercises, including image verification scenarios and ethical dilemma discussions, were conducted to deepen participants’ understanding of real-life newsroom challenges and decision-making.
Mr. Martins Kajo (The WILL NEWS) and Mr. Sam Gafa (Radio Benue Makurdi) who spoke to THE AUTHORITY NEWS after the first day of training, described the training as very impactful.
