Campus Journalists Urged to Leverage Social Media for Impactful Reporting

Student journalists across Nigeria have been encouraged to leverage the power of social media to enhance their reporting and build strong professional profiles. This advice came during a workshop organized by the Campus Reporter project of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), held on Friday, February 21st.

The one-day workshop, themed “Amplifying News Stories with Social Media and Building a Strong Media Presence,” brought together 20 selected participants. Communications expert Asiat Jimoh facilitated the training session, emphasizing the crucial role of strategic social media engagement in journalism.

Ms Jimoh highlighted that social media allows news stories to reach wider audiences, including key stakeholders, thereby increasing their impact.

“News stories can quickly go viral when shared, retweeted, or liked, increasing their visibility and impact,” she stated.

The Communications expert also stressed the importance of connecting with audiences, noting that “people really want to connect with the face.”

Ms Jimoh further explained that social media provides student journalists with a cost-effective means of reaching sources and audiences globally, breaking down geographical barriers.

“Journalists can use social media to quickly share updates and gather information without extensive resource.” She stated.

Participants were also instructed on how to effectively use social media algorithms and the application of AI tools for trend monitoring and content scheduling.

“Journalists can use this information to create timely and relevant news stories,” Ms Jimoh stated.

A participant from the University of Maiduguri, Rosemary Olima, explained that the training was enlightening, adding that it has increased her ‘confidence to share’ her reports on social media platforms.

Another participant, Habeeb Olokooba, from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) also said that the training reoriented him on the importance of having ‘media footprints.’

The CJID’s Next Gen (Campus Reporter) project is a learning platform that aims to equip campus journalists across West Africa with the skills necessary for evidence-based ethical reporting and youth engagement.