MEDIA professionals have urged communication students to be advocates for social change.They spoke at the Media for Change Bootcamp, organised by the Centre for Media and Communication Innovations (CMCI), Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.

The bootcamp was designed to harness the creative potential of young people and channel it toward meaningful civic engagement through responsible media use and creative digital expression.
Themed, “Empowering youth for creative expression of talent,” the event also offered hands-on learning experiences.

The focus of the programme was to equip young people with practical media literacy skills to navigate today’s digital environment responsibly; foster youth creativity in producing content that promotes peace, inclusion, and positive civic participation, and use storytelling, skit-making, and participatory theatre to raise awareness on social issues and empower youth to become advocates for ethical digital engagement.
The highlights of the bootcamp featured a series of interactive, creative, and participatory sessions tailored to engage and inspire the 50 youth participants aged 15–30 years.

Key activities include interactive sessions on ethical media practices. Participants engaged in discussions and role-plays centered on responsible media use, fact-checking, combating misinformation, privacy protection, and respectful online communication.
This session strengthened their understanding of the ethical dimensions of media practice. Skit-making for social change, where youth participants collaborated to develop short skits addressing pressing social issues such as drug abuse among others.

Journalist and storyteller, Christiana Alabi-Akande, said skits can be used for social transformation.To her, “skit-making is not just drama, it is activism through storytelling. It turns ordinary people into agents of change using their talents and voice.”
Media scholar and Associate Editor ofThe Nation newspaper, Olatunji Ololade, spoke on Ethical Media Culture in Digital Space”

He guided participants through the principles of verifying information and respecting privacy, to combating misinformation and promoting civility in digital spaces.

Storytelling for impact was initiated, and this session empowered participants to craft personal and community narratives using audio-visual and written media.

Emphasis was placed on structure, audience engagement, and storytelling as a tool for advocacy and influence.
Participatory theatre techniques using improvisation, participants dramatised social challenges and invited audience members to suggest or enact solutions.

This approach fostered critical thinking, empathy, and collaboration, allowing young people to creatively explore solutions to community problems.

The bootcamp brought together 50 vibrant youth, with balanced gender representation from diverse community backgrounds. Key partners and stakeholders included Caleb University, community leaders, local youth groups, civil society representatives, and the media.