Safety remains critical for practising journalists in Nigeria because of the increasing hazards they are daily subjected to on account of the increasing incidences of insurgency, kidnapping, communal clashes, political violence and herders and farmers’ clashes, among other incidences.
According to the Centre for Journalism Development, no fewer than 266 Nigerian journalists came under severe physical assault from 2017 to 2022, which ultimately led to damning emotional and psychological injuries.
These were disclosed at a one -day intensive training on Safety of Journalists in Conflict Reporting Workshop organised by the Daily Trust Foundation in partnership with City University of London, United Kingdom, in Abuja.
The training, which was designed to arm journalists with the necessary mental tools and other technical exposures required to guarantee some measure of protection in the discharge of their duties in whatever conflict situations, was attended by 20 select print and broadcast journalists.
Chairman of Daily Trust foundation, Alhaji Bilya Bala, while welcoming the trainees and the Director, PhD Programme, Department of Journalism of the university, Dr Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar, said journalists need to be conscious of safety to stay alive be able to practice. involved.
”Safety remains critical for journalism practice because of the hazards involved. Every sector that exposes practitioners to hazards emphasizes safety,” he said citing the construction industry where use of protective gears is a priority.
”Also, the concept of insurance – for goods, properties, and even life – is derived from the need for people to think safety even in business activities. If various sectors think safety, journalists who are exposed to diverse kinds of attacks must also think safety”, he said.
”At the Daily Trust foundation, we are contributing our own quota to ensure safety for journalists, not only through this collaboration with City, University of London, but through our other engagements.
”Later in the year, we shall host another safety training, this time is about, covering dangerous assignments like wars, riots, and civil conflicts”, Bala said, adding that collaboration between the foundation and the university has been on even during the corona virus pandemic.
Dr Abubakar while exposing the trainers to various protective methods said: ”Journalists have the responsibility to cover all the conflicts ranging from farmers’ herders clash, IPOB, Boko Haram and insurgency, communal clashes and protests and even political violence across the country, but they should to understand the issues involved, so that they will protect themselves professionally. Life first, story second”.
Meanwhile, the lead discussant, Dr Theophilus Abbah urged journalists to conscious of the local environments and issues those places and thus properly guided when embarking on their reportorial responsibilities to avoid undue exposure to danger.
The trainers later expressed deep gratitude to the foundation and the university for availing them with the necessary tools to enhance their practice of journalism safely.
