The Osun State government has trained journalists in the state on election coverage and reporting ahead of the July 16 governorship election.
The two days workshop was organised for the purpose tagged “Election Coverage For Information Officers: Facts, Contexts and Impacts”.
At the event, the State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, reiterated his commitment to providing an enabling environment for election stakeholders.
He said routine training of journalists was critical to a hitch-free election.
Oyetola said journalists, by their roles in providing information for the public, must be well trained to manage and responsibly discharge their duty, especially during elections.
He added that the onus of keeping civilian rule alive in Nigeria rested on the media since it was at the forefront of the struggle to institute the current democratic dispensation in the country.
His words: “I enjoin you, on behalf of the state and the country, that any reportage that would be too sensational or that could undermine civilian rule must be jettisoned because it will be a disservice to the democracy you fought to enthrone”.
Earlier in her welcome address, the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs Funke Egbemode, noted that elections were a mixture of order and chaos, whose reporting must be tactful.
She said the workshop was specifically targeted at journalists to enhance their capacity to report the order and chaos associated with elections responsibly.
The Lead Facilitator of the workshop, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, said trainers at the workshop were carefully selected to reflect the wide range of areas involved in today’s political communication.
He explained that each of the trainers had been briefed to expand the scope of knowledge of the trainees by taking them through the rudiments of logic, research, sociology, advertising and media coverage of elections.
Participants at the workshop were drawn from print, broadcast, digital and new media as well as state and local government information services.
Governor Oyetola was represented at the event by the Head of Service, Dr Olowogboyega Oyebade.
Dominica Nwabufo
