Journalists from 30 media organisations with presence in Ogun State, on Thursday, benefited from a workshop/training programme organised by the Solutions Journalism project in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The programme, which was the second part of the Sojo training/workshop was held at the Department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, Abeokuta.
The event was part of the implementation of the project sponsored by Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) to support and pioneer formal uptake of solutions journalism by educators, students, and reporters in Ogun State.
This project falls under the Solution Journalism Network’s Africa Initiative, in which 60 newsrooms and 30 Fellows across Nigeria and Kenya would receive training and funding, over a three-year period.
Solution Journalism Africa Fellows, Jamiu Folarin, said the training was aimed at building participants’ capacity of producing Solutions-based reports.
Thursday’s training/workshop brought together General Managers, Heads of News and Current Affairs and reporters in over 30 media outfits in Ogun State and beyond.
Over 30 journalists based from selected broadcast, mainstream and online media organisations took part in the training programme.
The media organisations were selected to reflect different ownership structure in terms of Federal, State and Private establishments.
The representatives of broadcast stations at the programme included: Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Abeokuta; Ogun State Television (OGTV); Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC 90.5 F.M); Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN – Paramount 94.5 F.M); Rockcity 109.1 F.M; Sweet 107.1 F.M; Roots 97.1 F.M; Family 88.1 F.M; Fresh F.M, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Television Continental (TVC); Channels Television; and Silverbird Television (STV).
Also at the training workshop were the Ogun State correspondents of the Punch Newspaper, Daily Trust newspaper, Daily Independent Newspaper, Nigerian Tribune Newspaper, and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Representatives of online news platforms/blogs, who attended the programme were: The Encounter News, Pen Pushing, Platform Times, First News, and TV24News.
Seun Durojaiye and Chibuike Alagbaso, Programme Manager, Nigeria Health Watch, respectively, delivered papers virtually on Solutions Journalism 101 and how to pitch Solutions Journalism stories.
Explaining the reason for instituting the project, Folarin said it was driven by his desire to institutionalise Solutions Journalism in the training and practice of Mass Communication.
According to him, “With over a decade experience as a journalist and researcher, I observed gaps in the training of budding journalists in the definition of news and factors that determine newsworthiness. Many journalism students are trained to understand that “bad news is good news”.
“This has had far reaching effects on how journalists in Nigeria highlight the nation’s problems while paying little attention to efforts of governments, the civil society, private sector and individuals in improving the nation.
“I have been using the “Writing for Mass Media” and “Specialist Journalism and Publication” courses I teach in Crescent University to change this narrative by introducing perspectives that emphasise the assumptions of “Social Responsibility and Developmental Media Theories” to my students, many of whom are now practising journalists. The assumptions of these normative theories of the press are close to the ideals of Solution Journalism (SoJo).”
Folarin added that it was on the basis of this that he organised “the workshop and training for journalism educators, students and journalists in my community, and advocating for review of journalism curriculum to include and integrate Solutions Journalism.”
A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, CUAB, Dr Ganiu Okunnu, was the facilitator of the training workshop.
Head of Department, Mass Communication, CUAB, Dr Kola Adesina, who gave the closing remarks, enjoined journalists to imbibe the principles of Solutions Journalism for the betterment of the Nigerian nation.
The Solutions Journalism Network is a non-profit organisation with a presence across 18 countries, and over 500 newsrooms.