Liberalist Centre for Education, a Nigeria-based libertarian think-tank promoting pro-freedom ideas for human flourishing, has trained 100 mid-career journalists on pro-freedom reporting.
The training, according to a statement by the Centre, which is part of the activities of the center’s Journalism for Liberty Fellowship, was held from May 17th to 18th with both virtual and in-person session conducted in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The Centre called for applications for mid-career journalists and writers with an interest in the ideas of individual freedom, free market and limited government for their third cohort in the Journalism for Liberty Fellowship 2024.
Themed “Promoting a Free, Prosperous Society through Pro-Freedom Reporting,” the training was aimed at strengthening the skills of the journalists to report issues bordering on free market, limited government and individual liberty.
Some of the topics discussed during the training are: The art of pro-freedom reporting,
principles and values of liberty, storytelling for journalistic purposes, considerations in pro-freedom reporting among others.
The participants would become regular contributors to the center’s news magazine by publishing investigative stories, in-depth features, and engaging op-ed articles that inform and expose the adverse effects of excessive government powers and ways through which individual liberty and the free market are impeded.
Director of the Centre, Mr Eric Mobu, the programme said he believed the training would enhance the knowledge of the participants on pro-freedom journalism.
“The whole experience was quite an enlightening one for the participants. It was such an amazing time to have them. The kind of participants we have this year were so engaging. We saw their passion and readiness to come out with solutions to understand the concept of pro-freedom journalism. It was also an advantage for them to meet other senior journalists from bigger newspapers in Nigeria.
“We believe that through the fellowship programme that is starting late July to December 2024, the participants would be able to get an insight into the pro-freedom reporting system, not only in Nigeria but also in Africa and beyond, ” Mobu said.
Twenty journalists would be selected for the fellowship which would commence late July.
One of the participants, Abdulganiyu Azeez said the training served as an eye-opener for him on the concept of pro-freedom journalism.
“At first, I never thought that kind of journalism was a way forward to sustainability, but after the training, I understand why pro-freedom journalism matters and how to go about it.”
“I learnt a lot of things including how to choose a specific angle for a story, the importance of simplicity in writing, ethics involved in pro-freedom reporting among others,” he said.
Another participant, Hussain Wahab Kehide expressed his gratitude, stating that the training equipped him with learning the art of pro-freedom journalism.
“I have learnt, relearn and unlearned about the principles of pro-freedom reporting and how to go about it.”
