Veteran investigative journalist and serial journalism organisation founder, Dapo Olorunyomi will be the keynote speaker at the 2023 edition of the Amplify In-depth Media (AIM) Conference & Awards scheduled to be held on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 December 2023, at Abuja Continental Hotel (former Sheraton) in Abuja.
According to a statement by the Executive Director of Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Mrs Motunrayo Alaka, daily sessions of the conference will commence at 9 am and the award ceremony will be held at 5 pm on 9 December.
Olorunyomi, Founder of WSCIJ, Publisher Premium Times, and Founder/CEO of Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), will be joined by over 40 other speakers to examine the broad theme ‘The independent media equation: Policies, ownership, technology and sustainability’.
Alaka explained that the conference will feature panels, experience-sharing, and workshop sessions that will explore critical sub-topics on policies, technology and artificial intelligence, sustainability, ethics in journalism, business models, and the sustained amplification and impact of investigative journalism beyond awards and donor interventions.
She said WSCIJ is co-hosting the AIM Conference & Awards, this year, with MacArthur ‘On Nigeria Project’ Media and Journalism (MAJ) cohort, as a two-day physical and virtual conference to reflect on investigative journalism, democracy, and how to amplify, sustain investigative reporting and ideate on collectively strategies that foster change through conversations, debates, and practical explainers.
Alaka, also the Coordinator, MAJ Cohort, said the conference will culminate in the public presentation of the 2023 Wole Award for Investigative Reporting (WSAIR), to recognise best practices in investigative journalism.
Admission to the conference and awards is open to journalists, editors, media owners, government representatives, diplomatic corps members, civil society representatives, donor organisations, and other stakeholders.
The WSAIR in its 18th year has since inception in 2005, recognised the contributions of 116 finalists, 59 Soyinka Laureates, 13 investigative journalists of the year and 28 honorary awards recipients.
The MAJ cohort members include Bayero University, Kano; the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Civic Media Lab, The Conversation Africa, Daily Trust Foundation, Daria Media and HumAngle Media.
Others are International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Nigeria Media Innovation Programme (NAMIP), Oya Media, Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), Signature TV, Tiger Eye Foundation, Wadata Media & Advocacy Centre (WAMAC), Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and Women Radio WFM 91.7FM.
ALSO READ : Media professionals trained on communication gaps in HIV Response
