Media owners and practitioners have been charged to deliberately enhance their capacity with commensurate knowledge to hold the government accountable for their actions by Haruna Mohammed, Co-publisher, WikkiTimes. Mohammed gave this advice while addressing participants at the 14th Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series. According to Mohammed, knowledgeable journalists are more equipped to shed light on issues deliberately hidden from the public.
Mohammed was of the view that many subnational media are unequipped to spot red flags and report corruption cases authoritatively. “We need to make a deliberate effort to invest in building the capacity of journalists in consistent collaborations, partnerships and networking”, he stated.
According to him, information will equip people in the rural areas and hinterlands with the necessary ingredient to make informed choices, and a strong and viable media is needed for this.
“As a journalist, I do know that what my village requires to weather the storm and brace up for meaningful development is nothing but the right information and the right knowledge. When people are well informed, the kind of decision they make is usually driven by knowledge, and the outcome more than likely would be a positive one”, Mohammed explained.
Mohammed made a case for independent funding and collaborations among media houses at the subnational levels to safeguard people’s interests at the grassroots.
