As the general elections draw nearer, journalists have been advised to be conscious, as no story or photograph was worth losing their lives.
Mrs. Rafat Salami, former Secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory Council, said on Thursday during a 3-day workshop on Gender Sensitive Reporting, Equity and Safety, organized for female journalists in Kaduna.
“No story is worth the life of any journalist. This programme is to equip journalists with skills that will make them do their job safely, as a lot of journalists are injured, or killed on the line of duty.
“As we do our jobs, we will try to reduce the incidence of injuries by equipping journalists with the right skills.
“This programme is in partnerships with International Federation of Journalists and the Federation of African Journalists sponsored by the Norwegians Union of Journalists.
“Please in doing your job, give voice to women, let women be represented and in doing so, highlight issues that affect women much more than we are talking about now.
“Insecurity and crises affect women more. We need to highlight them in our reportage,’’ she said.
Salami noted that the workshop which had been on since 2017, would continue until all states benefit, and advised women to always take themselves seriously so that others would do so.
“Women should not be afraid to bring themselves forward and air their views. Women should also strive to keep their children safe during and after the elections,” she added.
Earlier, the Kaduna State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Adamu Yusuf stressed the need for journalists to abide by the ethics of the profession before, during and after the forthcoming election.
Yusuf commended the National Executive of NAWOJ for organizing the workshop, which he noted was an opportunity to give female journalists the opportunity to improve on their skills for effective coverage of the general election.
In her welcome address, the Chairperson, Kaduna chapter of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Hajiya Fatima Aliyu, said the workshop would address thorny issues on gender sensitive reports, equity and justice for women.
“I hope that this workshop will undoubtedly engender robust deliberations as we rub minds to chart desired course for the role of the womenfolk in journalism,’’ she added.
