A call has gone to Media Practitioners to prioritize their safety first while reporting Conflicts.
Human Rights Activist and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Global Rights, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu who made the call during a two-day training on conflict sensitive reporting for Journalists organized by Global Rights Advocates for Sustainable Development, supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa in Abuja stressed the need for Safety and Protection of Journalists in Nigeria,
Prof. Odinkalu emphasized that Journalists must protect themselves, and must be prudent in dealing with people around them.
“Conflict is money, while you are reporting from it, people are making money from it. This is the point about conflict reporting and Journalism.
“You must protect yourself first, when I talk about protecting yourself, it has to do with everything you do; if you are going to report conflict in Nigeria, absolutely nothing is insignificant, We need you alive.” Odinkalu said.
On his part, Editor in Chief, Premium Times, Mojeed Musikilu, advised Journalists to make sure they gather accurate information about any conflict report they file, to avoid causing chaos.
According to the Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) Dayo Aiyetan urged Journalists to imbibe the culture of conducting good research and maintaining balance in their reportage.
