Bank trains journalists on digital reporting

Twenty-two practising journalists in Ogun state have been trained on “Digital Reporting” to widen their journalism horizon and efficiency in today’s digitalised world.

The one-day training workshop, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital was organised by the management of the Skye bank as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The beneficiaries, drawn from the print and electronic media, were exposed to how I – phones, android and smart-phones, coupled with many applications, could be used to break news, speedily to a wide spectrum of audience.

The resource person, Mr Taiwo Obe, a Commonwealth fellow, in his lecture titled “ disruption of things,” said technology had blurred and erased the line of divide between those in the print and electronic media.

Obe who is a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), said journalists are now story tellers “who tell stories in a digital age”.

According to him, media practitioners’ smart-phones, Android and I – phones are not only journalists’ “powerhouse,” but also the seamless tools they need to convey their stories to the target audience.

He cited Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Google among others as avenues journalists could use to share stories to sundry links.

He noted that recent information from the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) revealed that about 83million Nigerians are hooked up to the Internet via GSM phones, seeking information.

The implication of the digital age, he added, “Is that the bulk of the information seekers do not go to the traditional newsstands or vendors anymore but have migrated to the global digital village with the help of smart-phones among others”.

According to him while story telling had since changed, a good number of Nigerian journalists have neither changed nor adapted to it, and blamed the situation on ignorance.

Obe said the need to address this problem, informed the essence of the training, “To build and enhance the capacity of journalists to maximize their potentials in this digital age”.

Also, the Head, Corporate Affairs Unit of Skye Bank, Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa, said the rational behind the workshop was to assist members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm with the training they need to effectively impact on the society positively.