Leading media organisations will collaborate to host the Amplify In-depth Media Conference and Awards. The event will include the Amplify In-depth Media Conference and the 17th Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting. The conference will be held physically on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th December from 10 am to 2:30 pm WAT and the award event is scheduled for Friday 9th, at 3 pm WAT at the same venue – NECA House, Hakeem Balogun Street, off Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos and virtually.
Representatives of the Media and Journalism (MAJ) cohort of the MacArthur Foundation – the Bayero University Kano, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Nigeria Media Innovation Program (NAMIP), Wadata Media & Advocacy Centre (WAMAC), Daily Trust Foundation, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, Civic Hub, Tiger Eye, British Broadcasting Corporation and the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), will spearhead the initiative for the cohort of 18 organisations.
The multi-panel hybrid conference and awards provide a platform for a global audience to reflect on the state of democracy, the media profession, the practice of investigative journalism, and collectively decide on strategies to amplify the importance of the work of investigative reporters and the voices, especially marginalised ones, the media works to protect, with special focus on Nigeria and Africa. The event will include a multi-panel plenary for conversations and debates, explainer sessions, and registration-based practical classes.
WSCIJ launched the In-depth Media Conference in 2020 with the theme – ‘Masked not silenced’, to mark the 15th anniversary of the annual award programme. With the collaboration of the MAJ partners, the initiative has been rebranded and expanded to serve as a platform for veritable reflection on global issues, strategy, and action, to amplify the work of investigative reporters for democracy, accountability, and good governance.
For this edition, the public presentation of the award will serve as the closing ceremony of the conference and awards. Investigative journalists from print, online, photo, cartoon, television, and radio genres will be honoured for their ethical reporting courage, individual creativity, and public benefit.
The Amplify In-depth Media Conference and Awards event will host investigative reporters, editors, media owners, representatives of government, members of the civil society, donor organisations, members of the diplomatic corps and other stakeholders with an interest in accountability journalism and its sustainability.
Signed:
Motunrayo Alaka
Executive Director/CEO, WSCIJ and Coordinator, MAJ Cohort
