By Yomi Osuntokun
As Terrestrial journalism is about to give way to digital journalism, journalists have been challenged to brace up for the emerging trends in their profession.
To help them achieve this mission, a non-governmental organization, the institute for media and society is providing the platform for journalists to get trained as multi-media journalists under the European Union Support to democratic governance in Nigeria, EU SUPPORT COMPONENT 4.
Seventy-eight women journalists have so far been trained in multi-media storytelling skills by the organization.
The latest of the trainings took place recently in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital with a special focus on Post-election issues.
The training facilitators, Mr.Usifo Omozokpea and Mrs. Ehi Ohiani who took participants through areas such as reporting the electoral cycle, digital tools for content creation, and digital storytelling process among others said journalism had migrated from the days of analog to digital and the only way for modern-day journalists to fit in was by equipping themselves with necessary digital tools.
Mr. Omozokpea told the participants that using digital tools will redefine their careers as journalists and even earn them extra income through content creation.
He further advised journalists to use social media to engage and reach out to their audience as the transition to online media is imminent.
Mrs Ohiani called on traditional journalists especially women to be technology compliant and embrace digital content creation as well as multi-media storytelling to further set the agenda from the perspective of women.
She urged journalists to make use of any available opportunity to train themselves and be at the top of their game.
Institute for Media and Society, IMS Programme Manager, Mr Timothy Bamidele explained that the training was to enhance the professionalism of women journalists with regards to the activities emanating from the 2023 general elections.
Some of the participants including, Mrs. Oluwayomi Osuntokun from the Broadcasting Services of Ekiti state and the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ Chairperson in Rivers state, Susan Serekana-Nwikana noted that the training session exposed them to digital tools that would make their job easier while appreciating the efforts of IMS and donor agencies for the initiative.
The two-day training had in attendance nineteen women journalists from nine states of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti.
