Administrators advocate for improved legislative reporting techniques as Taraba Assembly trains Journalists
Gloria David
Seasoned administrators have advocated for improved legislative reporting techniques among Journalists in Nigeria
Taking turns at a two-day capacity-building workshop organized by the Taraba State House of Assembly for media practitioners covering legislative proceedings in the Taraba State, the administrators charged Journalists to armed with modern techniques for covering legislative activities in order to be more effective
Addressing guests on behalf of the organizers of the workshop, a former Speaker of the House, Dr. Josiah Sabo Kente, harped on the need for journalists to understand legislative procedures and terminologies to be able to provide the general public with more insightful and comprehensive reports on the operations of legislatures at all times
The former speaker, stressed the transformative role of technology in parliamentary reporting, noting how it could be used to ensure transparency and foster citizen engagement among others things in the country.
He highlighted the importance of fact-checking and avoiding misinformation in parliamentary reporting and called on Journalists to always work inline with their code of ethics while on the field especially, parliamentary jobs
In a keynote address at the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Keshere, Professor Unaru Pate, emphasized the impact of digitalization and communication technologies on legislative process political communication
Prof. Pate who called on the various authorities to invest in legislative communication infrastructure to foster transparency and public trust, further cautioned against the dangers of fake news, noting that misinformation could lead to suspicion, violence, and ethno-religious tensions.
On his part, the Chief of Staff, Taraba State Government, Jeji Williams, who presented a paper on Crafting Impactful stories on Legislative Process, urged Journalists to always go on simplified dictions while on parlliamentary jobs to enable the general public understand and appreciate the content of debates
Other resource persons, including Barrister Danjuma Adamu and a former Clerk of the House, all urged journalists to always verify facts with legislative authorities before publishing their reports.
Participants who interacted with our reporters, expressed appreciation for the initiative, stating that the training would enhance their ability to provide accurate and detailed coverage of legislative proceedings.
Meanwhile, the two day workshop which was anchored on the themed “Enhancing Effective Parliamentary Reporting for Accountability and Good Governance,” ended up with presentation of certificates to the participants.
