Maiduguri, Jan. 31, 2019 (NAN) – Search For Common Ground (SCG), an NGO, is training some selected journalists in Borno on professional reporting and violence prevention ahead of the 2019 general election, the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The SCG Conflict Analyst, Ms Bukola Ademola, said this at the opening of organised the two-day workshop for 20 journalists on Thursday in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria.
Ademola said the workshop, tagged: « The Electoral Empowerment of Civil Society Project (EECP) », was designed to train participants on impartial observation and accurate reporting during election.
« The EECP is a programme implemented by the National Democratic Institution (NDI) and Search for Common Ground (SCG), with support from the Department of International Development (UKAID), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
« Journalists play key role in disseminating information and shaping the minds of the populace on issues. A single report from the media can equally be used to promote conflict when not carefully communicated.
« Therefore, the objective of this training is to improve impartial observation, accurate reporting on, and recording of election vote total by domestic electoral observers during and after the election cycle.
« It is also designed to increase participation by marginalised groups in the political processes with focus on violence mitigation for 2019 polls, » she said.