University Don Advocates Promotion Of Community Journalism For Inclusive Development
By Ndifreke BASSEY
A university lecturer, Dr. Judex Okoro has advocated the need to revive and promote "dying" community journalism to promote inclusive development and good governance at the rural areas.
Okoro, a lecturer in the department of Mass Communication, University of Calabar, and Editor-in-Chief of THE BEAGLE NEWS, who made the call at a one-day media training program held in Yebegoa, Bayelsa on Thursday, said it has become imperative to return to grassroots reporting which focuses on promoting our rich cultural heritage, community event, social groups , the marginalised, the women, children and local administration.
The training program with the theme: "Local Government Administration in the Niger Delta: Strengthening Accountability, Inclusive Development Through Investigations, Data And Solution Journalism," was attended by journalists and students of Mass Communication from Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa states.
The program was sponsored by National Point in conjunction with Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and Macarthur Foundation.
Okoro noted that the failure of good governance at the local government level can be enhanced with reportage of activities at the grassroots.
He said: "There is need to report or expose development in our rural communities and that the only way this can be achieved is through community journalism, which reports the rural people and the communities.
"Before now, emphaisis was on promoting social values and rural development. We use to have the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) held sway in those days by giving readers local content, but unfortunately, this story has changed because community journalism is almost dead.
"Community journalism will also give voice to the voiceless residing in the rural areas and gives them a sense of belonging. Journalists need to brace up and pay attention to what is happening within the communities they reside and operate from," he stated.
Okoro also advocated a shift in focus to "solution journalism" which he said, will be more impactful than focusing on the problems and challenges facing our communities.
This is time to find a solution to known numerous developmental issues rather than "finding out what is wrong" which traditional media have over flogged.
According to him, "solution reporting is problem-solving, digging deep, being in-depth, getting responses that are impactful, evidence-based and insightful."
Meanwhile, Ms. Ibiba DonPedro, Publisher of National Point, says climate change will increase the level of poverty in the country if the government at all levels continues to pay lip service to mitigate the impact.
DonPedro urged media practitioners to focus on issues of the under-reported in our society.
She particularly mentioned the need to give voice to the rural communities, climate change, and inclusive governance to help build an enviable society.
"We are all aware of the happenings in Maidiguri where floods caused by climate change have wrecked havoc in the state.
"The Borno flood challenge brings to the fore in the need for the government to take the issue of climate change seriously.
"The reality is that the climate change challenge will increase poverty level in the society and indeed on different parts of the world," she stated.
DonPedro urged journalists to embrace training and be well informed in order to keep abreast with the change and help spread happenings across the world.
She further noted that media practitioners must live with their role in helping to build a better and prosperous society.
According to her, "our noble role should be able to build a better country that will all yearn for."
In his presentation, Prof. Steve Wordu, who lamented the failure of local government administration in the country, attributed the rising poverty level to this failure.
The Professor of Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, said effective development journalism will help bridge the gap created by this failure at the local level.
Wordu, who presented a paper on "Local Government Administration in the Niger Delta: The Perspective of Regional Development" says training will strengthen media in understanding their role in development administration.
"Journalists need to make use of digital resources to enhance governance in the area," he says.
