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The Plateau State Peace Building Agency, in collaboration with the German Cooperation (GIZ) under the PEACECORE Programme, has organised a three-day Media for Peace training for journalists in Jos.
The training, held at the Crispan Hotel, brought together media practitioners as the second cohort of the Media for Peace initiative aimed at strengthening responsible journalism and conflict-sensitive reporting.
Speaking during the programme, GIZ Senior Technical Adviser, Susan Gopuk, said the organisation operates in Kaduna, Plateau, and Taraba states, focusing on children, youths, women, farmers, herders, internally displaced persons, and persons living with disabilities.
She explained that GIZ works closely with partners such as the Plateau State Peace Building Agency and the Norwegian Refugee Council to promote peacebuilding interventions across the target states.
According to her, the organisation adopts a holistic peacebuilding strategy that combines strengthening peace structures, facilitating dialogue, trauma healing, capacity building, climate-smart interventions, and youth engagement to reduce radicalisation.
Gopuk stressed the importance of Media for Peace, noting that journalists play a critical role in shaping public narratives, promoting peaceful coexistence, supporting early warning systems, preventing conflicts, and amplifying peace messages.
She urged media practitioners to tell local stories from their own perspective, emphasizing the need for accurate and balanced storytelling.
One of the facilitators, Irene David of the LIDA Network, delivered a session on development communication and peacebuilding, where she stressed the importance of factual, unbiased, and audience-focused reporting.
She described communication for development as the strategic use of media platforms and community engagement to drive positive social change and encourage dialogue.
Another facilitator, Lois El-Kojonwa Ugbede of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, spoke on the information disorder ecosystem and the dangers of false or misleading content.
She explained the differences between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, while also introducing participants to Artificial Intelligence tools and fact-checking resources for verifying content credibility.
A facilitator identified as Murtala trained participants on conflict-sensitive journalism, urging journalists to understand the root causes, history, and social context of conflicts before reporting.
He also highlighted the role of digital media in shaping narratives, saying online platforms can be used positively to promote peace, social interaction, and community understanding.
Participants were introduced to AI tools, fact-checking databases, official reports, and other credible sources, with a strong reminder to avoid spreading unverified information.
The training also strengthened unity and collaboration among journalists from different media organisations, with participants expressing appreciation for the knowledge gained and reaffirming their commitment to responsible and peace-focused reporting.
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