Adequate data key to reporting oil sector, NAPE tells journalists
By Joy Obakeye
The Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) has said with effective use of data as resource, journalists can report a data driven industry like the oil and gas sector.
The association explained that data journalism is beyond the usual statistical representative it entails, but a tool to unearth a myriad of information written in a few data figures.
According to the President of NAPE, Alex Tarka, during a one-day virtual workshop for oil and gas media professionals, tagged, “Accessing Quality Information & Data Journalism for Oil & Gas Media Professionals’, the oil and gas is highly technical in its process and operations.”
He explained that, “It is important that the reportage of events in the oil and gas space is accomplished by oil and gas media professionals with competence and capacity.
He added that NAPE will continue to partner with the press and other stakeholder in providing a platform for learning, nurturing best practise, evolving new solutions and enhancing economic development.
While delivering her paper presentation, ‘Data and Digital Journalism: Effective Tools For Data Driven Reporting’, Yvette Dimiri, Growth Editor, Stears Business, said there is need for media houses to adopt digital journalism and there should be data scientist in the newsroom with a view to simplifying their writings to readers.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director, Commercial and Strategy, Total Nigeria Plc, George Oguachuba, in his presentation on ‘Exploration and Production Value Chain,Business and Key Stakeholders’,said the oil and gas industry generates 70 percent of Nigerian annual revenue, adding that the sector also accounts for $100bn of total real Gross Domestic Product(GDP) and employ over 400,000 people across the value chain.
However, the Publisher of African Oil+Gas Report, Toyin Akinosho, in his paper presentation, ‘Oil and Gas Reporting In The World Of Fake News’, noted that fake news is not just about written stories, counterfeit image can play the game.
According to him, “anyone with an internet connection can be considered a journalist now with so many platform like facebook, twitter and personal blogs.
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It is easy to create and share legitimate looking news that has no basis in reality”.
”It also has a higher chance of being believed or shared since the networks are segmented so that it’s being shared with people that already have a bias and want to believe it is true story”.
