Hon. Sylvanus Tapgun commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs Plateau state

By Daniel Dauda,Jos


Journalists have been charged to embrace the opportunities created by ICT in contributing to nation building through the used of Peace Journalism in the country.

The Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affiars in Plateau State,Sylvanus Tapgun made this called on Friday when he chaired the maiden training workshop of the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Plateau State Council held at NBTT conference hall in Jos the State capital.

Tapgun said the coming of ICT has the positive and the negatives, as such Journalists must explored the positive angle of the ITC in improving the nation’s democracy.

He said as the nation head to election in 2023, Journalists can deployed the positives aspect of ICT to improved the country’s elections.

“The role of ICT on the pen Profession is not out of place because it has the positive and the negatives depending on what divides you choose to play. But I am sure that the positive are by far outway the negatives.

“Therefore, as we take another bend to another election year, there is no better armour to equip Journalists than through ICT empowerment", he stated.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner Benue State Dr. Nentawe Yilwatde said ICT has come to stay and the world is moving and media practitioners must go with the changing world.

He said Journalists can deployed the used of certain apps in the 21st century such as “speech to text converter, TinEye, Tabula, OpenRefine, Mailvelope, oTrancribe, FilMicPro’ amongst other that will enhanced Journalism works.

He said the social media space is sought after for news because of its access, saying a recent report shows that there are 104 million internet users in Nigeria and 33 million social media users, adding that 80.6 per cent of social media users are within the age range of 18 to 44.

He advised Journalists to develop their content to address the needs of the large category of social media users as the platform can be use for collaborative reports, political revolution, a voice for the voiceless and for social and political processes among others.

The INEC REC however cautioned journalists against using every material they get for their reports, saying there are tools that can enable them fact check information using authenticators.

Meanwhile,the Head of Department Mass Communication University of Jos, Dr. Taye Obateru while delivering a paper on Peace Journalism and it’s risk maintained that Journalists must create a stable and peaceful atmosphere to enable them work effectively.

The NUJ Chairman Plateau State Mr. Paul Jatau stressed that the steps taken by the Chapel is a commendable one as the council over the years has considered training and retraining as the best way of equipping his members.

“The focus is very apt considering the challenges we face out there in discharging our duties with the coming of ICT where we now have citizens Journalism. Each day we are face by this challenge of those who are not trained, those we see everything and post everything, who don’t have a second eyes, who are the content producers, content Editors. We are encouraging other Chapels to do same.”

The Chairman of the Correspondent Chapel Mr. Gyang Bere earlier on in his welcoming remarks stressed that the workshop is aimed at equipping his members with the knowledge of ICT in meeting with the global space.

He said such knowledge will also help Journalists to report activities around their environment even when people can not meet face to face like during the COVID-19 lockdown across the country.

A minutes silence was observed in remembrance of colleagues who died in 2007 while in the convoy of the Former Governor Josuah Dariye.