International Alert, CJID train Sokoto journalists on conflict reporting

International Alert, in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, has trained about 150 journalists and media practitioners in Sokoto State on conflict-sensitive reporting and responsible journalism.

The two-day training, held under the Resilience, Engagement, and Conflict-Prevention for At-Risk Populations’ Protection in Sokoto State Project and funded by the European Union, is aimed at equipping media professionals with the skills to report conflicts accurately without escalating tensions.

Speaking at the training, Programme Manager of International Alert, Sanusi Audu, disclosed that participants were drawn from radio, print, online and digital media platforms across the state.

He said the participants included reporters, editors, news managers, radio presenters, social media influencers, digital content creators, community and campus media practitioners as well as citizen journalists.

Audu said the training was particularly important given the increasing spread of unverified information and inflammatory narratives during conflicts.

He stressed, “The media has a critical role to play in either escalating or reducing conflict. Our objective is to ensure that journalists have the knowledge and tools to report conflict in a manner that promotes peace, accuracy and social cohesion.”

The Coordinator of the RECAP Consortium, Remikat Blessing Ayuba, said the training was informed by findings from the project’s Peace and Conflict Analysis, which identified unemployment and poverty as major drivers of conflict in Sokoto State.

She added that the analysis also identified rumours, identity-based narratives and politicised interpretations circulated through digital and broadcast platforms as factors capable of deepening mistrust and tension.

According to her, “The findings clearly showed that information can either contribute to peace or worsen existing tensions. This is why strengthening the capacity of journalists is critical to conflict prevention.”

Arewa PUNCH reports that the training covers conflict-sensitive journalism, the Do-No-Harm approach, narrative framing, disinformation and rumour management, artificial intelligence-generated disinformation, digital verification and Open Source Intelligence techniques.

Other areas included, sensitive reporting of sexual and gender-based violence, gender and social inclusion, peace-promoting journalism, and the safety and wellbeing of journalists covering insecurity.

The programme also features practical exercises using real Sokoto-based cases, including verification drills, case analysis, peer reviews, group reflections and the development of individual editorial action plans.

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Speaking on the imperatives of conflict-sensitive journalism, the spokesperson of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, urged journalists to understand the context and underlying causes of every conflict before reporting it.

Baba said conflicts might appear similar but often have different causes, dynamics and implications.

He maintained, “Journalists must first understand the particular conflict ecology before deciding how to frame, investigate and report a crisis.

“Responsible journalism requires avoiding simplistic narratives, stereotyping and language that can deepen existing divisions.

“Journalists must ask who is speaking, whose voices are missing, what interests are involved and how the report may affect communities already living with tension.”

The ACF spokesperson insisted that conflict-sensitive reporting was not about suppressing the truth, but presenting facts objectively and within the proper context.

He added, “The public has a right to accurate and balanced information, but journalists must ensure that their reportage does not unnecessarily fuel conflict.”

Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, represented by the Waziri Sokoto, Professor Sambo Wali Junaidu, said peace remained a prerequisite for meaningful development.

He urged journalists to use their platforms to promote peace, unity and understanding among communities.

“There is no meaningful development without peace. Journalists should therefore see themselves as agents of change and use their profession to promote peace and stability in society,” he admonished the media personnel.

The organisers explained that the training would culminate in the establishment of a Community of Practice for participating media practitioners to sustain collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

They will also produce a conflict-sensitive reporting manual in English and Hausa, as well as a pocket verification and narrative-framing checklist to support journalists covering insecurity and other sensitive issues in Sokoto State.