Stephen Enoch
Stallion Times has on Thursday enhanced the multimedia skills of over 40 journalists at a training workshop in Kano.
The training which took place at the Conference Hall of the Kano Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat was a part of a series of Stallion Times training under the project – “Get Involved, Dialogue and Improve (G-DRIP)” with the support of the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and the MacArthur Foundation.
In his welcome remarks, Isiyaku Ahmed, the Editor-in-Chief and Project Director of G-DRIP said the training was designed to introduce the concept of multimedia newsroom storytelling that caters to all sorts of audiences and platforms.
“It will help journalists appreciate the use of technology to deliver investigative reports in a blend of text, static images, animation, video, and audio clips.
“News organizations have moved to multimedia, using multi-platforms to tell stories.
“It is not just spreadsheets where journalists can find information worthy of the news.
“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,” Ahmed said.
He noted that 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.
Professor Mainassara Kurfi of the Mass Communication Department of Bayero University Kano (BUK) took the journalists on the rudiments of investigative reports and use the of technology for investigative reports in multimedia newsrooms.
He said that journalists can leverage multimedia for investigative reports to shine a light on the inner workings of governments, and other institutions, to transparency and improve public trust.
Prof. Kurfi urged journalists to be up-to-date with industry trends and changes in technology.
“Practice with different tools and technologies by getting hands-on experience with different multimedia tools and technologies.
“Also, collaborate with other members of the newsroom to create multimedia stories.
“Test your multimedia skills and learn from any mistakes you make and keep an open mind to new ideas and approaches to creating multimedia content,” the Professor added.
