ACJ LASU Starts 4-Day Journalism Training With CJID

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), on Wednesday the 23rd of February, began a journalism training hosted by the Association of Campus Journalists (ACJ) LASU, which also featured persons from the National Association Of Nigerian Campus Editors (NANCE).

Scheduled to hold for four days, the training officially commenced on Wednesday at the Conference Hall, Lasu Students Arcade Building within the time frame of 10 am till 2 pm.

The orientation, however, comprised of 30 ACJ LASU members as well 20 persons from  NANCE.

The training program featured three persons from the CJID, with each of them focusing on distinct facets of journalism. 

In the first part of the training, Mrs Busola elucidated the ethics of journalism, highlighting key ethics like truthfulness, objectivity, fairness, accuracy, and many more, whittling it all down to the role of verification. 

Discipline Must Be Rooted In Verification

Successfully linking the role of journalism to democracy was Mr Adekunle Deji. Highlighting the CJID’s focus on accountability journalism as a good example, he said:

“Journalism has a symbiotic relationship (mutual benefit) with Democracy, Journalism can operate in an undemocratic society, however, it works better in a democratic society with a free press.”

Adding the problem of people neglecting the watchdog role of journalism but focusing only on the function of dissemination he said: “Democracy will not function without a watchdog.”

A Dutch journalist based in Lagos, Femke Van Zeijl centred her lecture around conflict reporting and how to analyse it.

“Start by reading history books…find out who is speaking for whom, their main interest, how to represent these interests and how to explain root causes. Do not harm, do not make matters worse on a personal and societal level… is it really in the best interest of the public, look at all sides even the ones you don’t like very much.”

The first of the 4-day training was closed by a briefing by Femke Van Zeiji of what the subsequent training would comprise.