The Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) a non-governmental organization for the promotion of peace in volatile areas has trained journalists in Kaduna on sensitive conflict reporting.
In his welcome address during the two-day training held at Hotel Seventeen in Kaduna, JISRA country coordinator, Jude Likita remarked they are in the state to engage with the media practitioners in order to see how they can collaborate to promote peace in the state.
According to him, this is because his organization believe the media is a very strategic stakeholder in the promotion of just and peaceful societies.
“The media is very very key to our campaign on peaceful coexistence in the two states of Kaduna and plateau. In Kaduna, we are working in two local governments Jema’a and Kaura LGAs.
According to him, on the whole he said the programme is currently being implemented in seven countries, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali, Kenya, Uganda, Indonesia and Iraq.
Speaking on sensitive conflict reporting, one of the resource persons from Search for a Common Ground, Alfred Mangai Adams tasked the media when reporting sensitive conflicts, a journalist should understand cultural sensitivity as well as respect the diverse beliefs and practices of the people.
To this end, he offered some advice to journalists on the need to adopt some strategies in reporting conflicts like reaching out to various religious groups, conducting thorough research and understanding the needs and concerns of the communities.
He also charged journalists to avoid sensational reports that will provoke a section of the community, saying, “Instead your reports should be fair and balanced.
“Each section should be given a platform to air their own side, he stressed.
The lead person for the Network for Peace Journalists(NPJ), Ibrahima Yakubu commended JISRA for the training. He said it will go a long way for journalists to be mindful of their reports in future.
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