FIDELITY BANK ORGANISES TRAINING FOR JOURNALISTS

One of the foremost financial institutions in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc. recently hosted a number of journalists across diverse beats, broadcast sectors and on-line media practitioners to disabuse their minds on wrong and inefficient journalism habits long practiced by journalists, and to equip them with a new set of skills needed to change the face of news reporting at a one-day training tagged ‘Rethink Content’ held in Lagos.

The novel event which took place on the 1^st of September 2018 at The Hub Center, situated in Surulere, Lagos, was anchored by a trio of renowned and veteran journalists with over four decades of practice, Mr. Taiwo Obe and Funke Treasure-Durodola and Pelu Awofeso. Taiwo Obe, who is the founder/director of the Journalism Clinic, urged journalists to go beyond news reportage and become solution providers for their readers.

Introducing the use of software to enhance reportage, Funke Treasure-Durodola, the Assistant Director, Programmes, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, (FRCN), showed participants how to write, create and tell everyday stories in more unique and memorable ways, with the use of technological solutions that will connect faster with target audience, in her session titled “maximizing audio in the digital age.”

Stating that good content deserves accessible links and a great traffic, Peju Awofesoencouraged journalists to make active use of social media channels to project their works. He advised that at least four of the more popular applications should be actively engaged by every journalist. Expressing the need to be consistent, he also said journalists must keep an eye open for trends, hashtags, polls and many other tools on the various apps that can make the journalist’s stories easy to write and easier to find.

Organizers of the training, represented by Head of Division, Brands and Communication, Fidelity Bank, Mr. Charles Aigbe, said ‘the idea of the training was to inundate media practitioners with the latest trends in journalism practice and to further make them more computer compliant in the fast-growing trends of modern day journalism, and that it was another way of Fidelity Bank to acquaint itself with the media via accessible interaction and cross fertilization of ideas.’

He added that the first edition of the interactive session took place in Enugu last August I, while the third one after the Lagos edition comes up in Abuja on September 8, and that the multi-knowledge acquisition training will be a continuous one with innovations and other inputs that will mutually benefit the bank and the journalists, with more resource persons coming on board at intervals to add more value and juice to the programme.

Expressing appreciation to Fidelity Bank, who sponsored the training, participants noted that they have been encouraged to further deepen the noble profession through balanced and sustainable reportage.