Journalists in Kaduna State have been assigned to cover conflict-sensitive news by Mercy Corps as part of its Peace Action for Rapid Transformative Nigerian Early Response (PARTNER) peace-building initiative.
At a conflict sensitivity course for journalists, PARTNER’s chief of staff, Danjuma Saidu Dawop, stated that the goal was to assist media practitioners in incorporating conflict sensitivity guidelines into their reporting.
He claimed that the media landscape had changed from offline to online, pointing out that although journalists had previously obtained material directly from their sources, the journalism profession had been disrupted by digital media.
According to Dawop, the unchecked use of social media has led to a rise in false information that might incite strife among groups.
“People used to trust the media as a source of trustworthy, verifiable news,” he stated. But with social media, anyone can now identify themselves as a journalist. Since social media is unregulated, it is difficult for real journalists to disseminate factual information.
He declared, “We think it’s important for media professionals to comprehend how social media affects journalism and promoting peace.” Journalists are peacemakers who can use social media to spread knowledge that promotes community harmony.
Media outlets, especially when it comes to peace and conflict concerns, have the power to inform and enlighten. They are able to shed light on needs and interests, analyse conflicts, offer other viewpoints, and educate individuals about the underlying problems,” he stated.
Newsmen were instructed to identify the position, interests, wants, and fears of the warring parties in their writing by Chrisantus Defuna’an Lapang, the technical manager of Mercy Corps’ Early Warning Early Response (EWER) programme.