Airtel partners The Journalism Clinic to train Nigerian Journalists

In order to expose some journalists to tools and techniques to make their content more compelling to the vast audiences who now, more than ever before, consume news and other content on digital platforms, Airtel Nigeria, has partnered with The Journalism Clinic to host a four-city-four-week multimedia journalism training/road show for 100 Nigerian journalists.

The exciting initiative is billed to start in Lagos on 27 July. An international trainer and specialist in online, mobile and social media, Dan Mason, will be the lead facilitator of this fast-paced hands-on workshop, which, apart from Lagos, will be held in Ibadan between 3-8 August; Abuja 10-17 August and Port Harcourt 17-21 August.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, the initiative is a glowing testimony of the company’s commitment to creating empowerment platforms, which will enrich the lives of all its critical stakeholders including the media.

“The epic growth of smart phones and social media has turned news upside-down. To stay ahead, journalists need to create compelling stories, which would not only be shared on social but also easily accessible on mobile devices. It is our delight to support journalists in Nigeria to perform optimally in this mobile age.

Media audiences will also get better engaged while media owners should expect increased traffic to their platforms. It’s a win-win for everyone,” said Ogunsanya.

The Journalism Clinic’s Founder/Director Taiwo Obe said: “Participants, who will be drawn from print, electronic and online media, through nominations by editors and managers of news media platforms, will learn how to approach, plan and create multimedia stories that shout ‘share me!’ on social media.”

He added: “Mason, a Briton, nicknamed Otunba by appreciative journalists who have attended some of his workshops in Nigeria, is excited about this programme.

He will treat topics including mobile video and audio, data and charts, infographics, maps, timelines, interactive images and more, underpinned by the power of social media.” A trainee in a past Mason workshop, Mrs Ese Aluko, said of him: “He is simply amazing. If all tutors were like him, our country would indeed be a better place.”