Longtong Ibrahim
Young and upcoming journalists present at a one-day training recently organized by Stallion Times have been charged to be fearless, determined, and courageous to be investigative reporters who would bring about impact in society.
Head of the Mass Communication Department, Bayero University, Kano, Prof Mainasa Yakubu Kurfi, who was the resource person at the ‘Multimedia Newsroom Training’ told Journalists that, once those qualities are missing, one cannot effectively carry out the task of an investigative reporter as it also takes a lot of time, finance, sacrifice and sometimes, it could be life-threatening.
He explained that, as an investigative reporter, it is important to develop good writing skills to describe, interpret, analyze, and engage the reader, and build relationships of trust with your sources.
According to Prof Kurfi the ‘Use of Technology for Investigative Reports in Multimedia Newsroom,’ explained that investigative reports are aimed at exposing wrongdoings, holding government officers accountable, and bringing about development, hence the need for journalists to utilize the use of these technologies in multimedia and be creative with their storylines to tell their investigative stories.
He also added that multimedia content focuses on creating engaging and interactive content that tells stories in new and innovative ways, noting that, the use of multimedia newsroom in an investigative report cannot be over-emphasized as it increases reach, create engagement, improve storytelling, improve reputation and improve revenue.
Earlier, the Editor-in-Chief of Stallion Times, Isiyaku Ahmed noted that the aim of the training was to build the capacity of media practitioners on investigative reporting, journalism ethics, safety, media literacy, independence, and sustainability.
He pointed out that, “in today’s world of media convergence, news storytelling has changed. The way people consume news has also changed. Traditional news outlets are now evolving to content convergence in the media space.
“News organizations have moved to multimedia, using multi-platforms to tell stories.
“Reporters and editors needed to be empowered and with the necessary skills that would make them tell stories in social spaces, which now accommodate a large audience.
“We at Stallion Times recognize the importance of embracing and using new technologies and platforms to effectively convey stories that resonate with the audience in the digital age.
“This workshop, therefore, is designed to introduce the concept of multimedia newsroom storytelling that caters to all sorts of audiences and platforms,” Ahmed noted.
He however urged participants at the workshop to appreciate the use of technology to deliver investigative reports in a blend of text, static images, animation, video, and audio clips, and also do step-down training in their various organizations in order to enhance their newsroom storytelling approach.
The one-day training was one of the pieces of activities by Stallion Times in collaboration with the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and funded by the MacArthur Foundation in its 3-year Participatory Governance and Media Literacy project tagged “Get Involved, Dialogue and Improve (G-DRIP)” in Kano and Kogi states.
