US Partners Channels Academy To Train Conflict Reporters

The United States Embassy Abuja, in partnership with Channels Academy, has trained over 150 journalists on Conflict Reporting and Peace Journalism.
The training programme is part of a deliberate strategy of the US Mission in Nigeria to improve the investigative competences of journalists to report on various issues in the country.
In her opening remarks, the U.S. Embassy Spokesperson/Press Attaché, Jeanne Clark, noted that the United States recognized that security challenges exist in many forms throughout the country, and that journalists were confronted with responsibility to prioritize physical safety in addition to meeting standards of objectivity and integrity in conflict reporting.
She urged the journalists to share their experiences throughout the course of the three-day seminar, and encouraged participants to identify new ways to address the security challenges.
The trainer, Prof Steven Youngblood from the U.S. Centre for Global Peace Journalism – Park University, defined and presented principles for peace journalism in conflict reporting.
He cautioned journalists to refrain from what he termed ‘war journalism’.
He said, “War journalism is a pattern of media coverage that includes overvaluing violent, reactive responses to conflict while undervaluing non-violent, developmental responses.”
In his speech, the Provost of Channels Academy, Mr Kingsley Uranta, expressed appreciation for the continuous partnership with the U.S. Embassy, and for bringing such training opportunities to Nigerian journalists.
He also called on conflict reporters to be peace ambassadors.
The training took place virtually via Zoom from June 22 to 24, 2021.
Journalists converged in American Spaces in Abuja, Kano, Bauchi, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Awka, and Ibadan.
At the same time, some joined from Channels Academy, Abuja, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Port Harcourt.