Participatory Communication for Gender Development Initiative (PAGED) has trained journalists on covid-19 response and safety as part of frontline workers.
The two-day capacity building workshop was organised for journalists from Adamawa, Bauchi, Plateau, Taraba and Gombe, held in Bauchi State and was sponsored by the European Union (EU).
A Media Consultant, Mr Ibrahim Iliyasu, the facilitator at training, urged media proprietors to see newsmen as frontline workers who are also endangering their lives to get the public enlightened about the novel virus.
“We all know that the media is the fourth estate of the realm, they are key stakeholders, they deserve proper welfare. They are also key in achieving true democracy and if you deprive them of performing these constitutional roles, there is danger.
“Sadly, democracy has been reduced to only when we line up for election, that is not it. From both the supply and demand of the government, they have to understand the role of journalists,” Iliyasu stated.
He urged the media owners to care more for their journalists to keep the profession in its right position, noting that “With this, our democracy can be safeguarded.”
As frontline workers, Iliyasu said journalists were at the forefront of enlightenment when the Covid-19 was reported in different parts of the world.
He urged media men to be more accurate in information dissemination to avoid an “information pandemic”.
“If there is a national emergency response, the government should know journalists are as important as medical doctors and other frontline workers. The doctors are given hazard allowance and I don’t know why the media is not given.”
