The Executive Director of International Press Centre, (IPC) Mr Lanre Arogundade, has stressed the need for journalists to acquaint themselves with the workings of fact checking to enhance productivity and ensure professionalism.
Arogundade, while speaking at a one-day training for online and print media executives in Ibadan on Monday, enjoined journalists to broaden their knowledge in regular writing of editorials and embrace creativity in the discharge of their duties, as well as reportage of electoral issues.
He charged the media executives drawn from the five states in the Southwest to always upgrade and ensure they improve in their professionalism; with a view to increase awareness in the use of the Freedom of Information Bill.
He stressed the need to combat issues of misinformation and disinformation in the media industry; educating and encouraging members of the public to participate in voters registration as well as ensuring the increase in participation of women in politics.
Arogundade applauded the European Union, (EU) and the International Press Centre, IPC, for organising the interface to broaden the knowledge and scope of the participants on robust reportage of electoral issues.
He charged participants to ensure the knowledge acquired are put into proper use in their day to day activities, while calling on previous beneficiaries of the EU and IPC sponsored workshops to implement the knowledge imparted to justify their generosity through their reports to amplify them.
In his contributions, Chairman of the Southwest Guild of Online Publishers, SWEGOP, Mr Bisi Oladele; assured the sponsors of their readiness to partner with them by ensuring that their members are well trained and tutored to be self sufficient on the job, especially the upcoming ones.
In his contributions, Publisher of Sunshine Truth, who is also the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ondo State council, Mr Leke Adegbite, lauded the EU and IPC for their efforts at making sure that professionalism and sound ethical standard are entrenched in the journalism profession by its practitioners.
Also, Publisher of Parrot Xtra Magazine and PMParrot, Mr Olayinka Agboola, appealed to the sponsors to expand the scope of the training to upgrade the ability and quality of journalists across the Country.
Media executives drawn from Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti states include: online publishers and other regular tabloids.
