PUNCH Media Foundation (PMF) on Thursday, 16th February 2023 held the Election-Day Reporting Programme (EDREP) organised for journalists covering the general elections in Lagos State.
From the welcome session taken by the Head of Programmes & Research, PMF, Rebecca Erureh, to the last session on Digital Fact-Checking, facilitated by Allwell Okpi, one can say that the participants gleaned varied insights to aid their reportage of the 2023 general elections. In attendance were journalists from various media houses including Nigerian Tribune, Punch Newspapers, Premium Times, Freedom, The Cable, The Nations Newspaper, Daily Trust, This Day, Channels Television, Lagos Television, Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Nigeria, The Guardian, and Eagle Online Newspaper.
The modules taught at the training include Credible election Vs Nigeria Democratic System which was facilitated by Mr Joel Nwokeoma; Reporting Soundly, Reporting Safely by Dr Titilayo Osuagwu and Mr Lanre Arogundade; The Shared Experience Series (S.E.S) session which was handled by Alhaji Yusuf Alli, who shared relatable stories and enlightened the participants from his 34 years of experience on the field, and moderated by Ms Amaka Okoye, among others.
A major high point of the training was when participants were encouraged to have a personal budget to meet unforeseen needs. They were also urged to study the Electoral Manual 2023 and the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022 to be abreast of the information needed to deliver nuanced and balanced reportage during the general elections.
The Election-Day Reporting Programme (EDREP), an initiative of the PUNCH Media Foundation (PMF), is targeted at politics and governance journalists and other journalists who may be assigned to cover elections. The programme is designed to provide journalists assigned to cover elections with the tools needed to discharge their duties professionally and ethically on election day(s).
The PUNCH Media Foundation is the development arm of Punch Nigeria Limited with the mission to stimulate a just, inclusive, and thriving civic space using the instrument of accountability journalism, digital journalism, public policy advocacy, and media development.
