[The Activism Blog] U.S. trains 25 Nigerian journalists on data journalism

In a bid to aid their routine work and investigative abilities, the U.S has trained 25 journalists selected from across Nigeria in data journalism with a focus on the tools for data journalism in a digital age.

The training which held between Monday, October 16 and, Tuesday, October 17, 2017, had Jeffrey Young and Kathleen Struck, from the Voice of America (VOA), as facilitators.

At the two day training, the Consul-General of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, John Bray,  restated his nation’s commitment to the growth and progress of the Nigerian media. He noted that the U.S sees Nigeria as an “important nation and would continue to show commitment to improving standards in the Nigerian media.

A Senior Analyst at VOA, Africa Division, Mr Young, said, “Journalists must be concerned about digital security and ensure ethics are followed in their discharge of duties even as risks increase daily for journalists. The importance of data journalism cannot be underestimated, while there are challenges daily, it is our duty to live up to these challenges and report”.

He also said Nigerian journalists must equip themselves with relevant data journalism knowledge to ensure effectiveness and have an edge in the 21st century investigative journalism, he also urged them to respect the ethics of the profession and also actively use the Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, to gather facts and information that will help statistical reporting.

On her part, Ms Kathleen Struck tasked journalists to use the social media to gather information in reporting. saying, “Journalists must in the real sense understand the use of social media and utilise it effectively. The world is evolving and investigative journalists must know how to use the social media to the advantage of their work”.

The head, public affairs, American Embassy in Lagos, Darcy Zotter, said the U.S. was constantly looking for promising Nigerian journalists to train.Saying “You are journalists and we need you. What we expect you to do is apply. There are many scholarships for you out there and we are committed to holding more training like this for you.”

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