By Nzeabi Eucharia, Asaba
A 3–days capacity-building workshop program organized by Search for Common Ground(SCG), an NGO funding support from the European union (EU)for journalists drawn from the print, electronic, and online media organization has ended in Asaba.
The training, which held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Asaba, the Delta State capital, from September 2 to 4, 2025, focused on equipping journalists with skills in conflict sensitivity, cultural awareness, inclusive community programming, and digital peace building.
No fewer than 30 journalists drawn from the print, electronic and online media organisations have benefitted from the three-days capacity-building training on conflict-sensitive reporting.
Speaking at the close of the workshop, the Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator of Search for Common Ground, Mr. Sunny Dada, said the initiative was borne out of the recognition of journalists as nation builders and critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the training seeks to empower journalists to produce reports that attract investors to the region rather than drive them away.
“Journalists are the fourth estate of the realm and it is expedient that their capacity is strengthened in conflict sensitivity and inclusive programming,” Dada stated.
He explained that participants were also exposed to the concept of digital peacebuilding and social listening to help them identify and counter online conflict drivers such as hate speech and fake news.
Dada noted that post-training assessments had already shown significant improvement in the capacity of the journalists, describing the experience as rewarding.
Other trainees who spoke from different angles comprising of :
- Conflict Analysis, Digital Peace Building, As Well As Role Of Journalism In Conflict Management, encourages media practitioners to always ensures and documents proper record of information given to them and consider the interest of both parties to avoid bias.
Many participates, who attended the program, in an interview with our reporter, described the training as timely, noting that it had broadened their understanding of conflict-sensitive reporting without escalating tensions, while some said that the sessions on digital peace building is an eye-opening because they showed us how to respond responsibly to online conflict reporting.
