NGO trains Mass Communication students on peace journalism

By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

Catching them young on peaceful ways of reportage formed our basis for organizing this training for selected Mass Communication students drawn from the various tertiary institutions in Plateau State, says the Media and Communication manager, Search for Common Ground (SFCG), Mr. Temisan Etietsola.

The three days training which will qualify the students as media fellows for SFCG is designed to expose them to the rudiments of peace reportage and add to what they are being thought in school, Dr. Taye Obateru, Head of Department, Mass Communication University of Jos, also said.

The training organised under the project of GIZ Media for Peace Project, is meant to bring stakeholders that will contribute to peace process with the aim to change the negative narrative associated with conflict reportage, Mr. Etietsola reiterated.

“This fellowship is for emerging students. The programme is targeted at catching them young so that even as they are in school, they are already thinking of peaceful ways of propagating their message”.

However, framing his opinion at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the HOD Mass Communication Unijos further stated that the programme is peace specific.

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According to him: “they are joining us to train our students to be peace journalists. We all know the problem we are facing in Plateau and training these young once will help to reshape their thinking and better prepare them for the challenges ahead”, Obateru said.

Our correspondent reports that students from University of Jos, Plateau State University, Polytechnic and NTA Collage Jos, were selected and inducted as SFCG fellows for peaceful reportage.