Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism WSCIJ scores PRNigeria, Economic Confidential high on media accountability project

Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism WSCIJ scores PRNigeria, Economic Confidential high on media accountability project

Story from Christine TOBECHUKWU

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, WSCIJ has expressed delight over the performance of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential in the former’s Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusion and Accountability Project.

The Executive Director of the Centre, Mrs Motunrayo Alaka, who led the team commended the two IMPR flagship news media for producing top-notch investigative stories and carrying out special reports of great impacts.

Mrs Alaka, during her visit to the PRNigeria office in Abuja, spoke extensively on the need to brainstorm on PRNigeria and Economic Confidential’s performance in their media engagement and accountability project.

She explained that the stories produced by PRNigeria and Economic Confidential were richer in content.

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She said: “I noticed that your organization distinguished between special reports and investigative stories. That is quite commendable.
We have seen blunders from some media, who refer to normal stories as investigations”.

The WSCIJ Executive Director, Moturanyo Alaka commended PRNigeria’s investigative reporters who against all odds visit security risk areas and terrorists’ enclaves in the course of dischargung their duties.

She however, advocated for ‘effective risk management’ by media houses for their staff involved in life-threatening investigative missions.

“With all the risk most of you face during coverage, we need to engage in risk management and have a contingency plan, before starting an investigation. The stories are important, but your lives are more important to us at WSCIJ,” she said.

Responding to the questions raised about the opportunities WSCIJ has for Mass Communication interns, the Executive Director Alaka assured that their Centre will collate information about interns at various media organizations and may propose a capacity-building workshop for them, as part of mentoring them on investigative reporting, generally.

“It is important that you should also be responding to calls for media workshops and fellowships, regardless of the criteria requested by WSCIJ. Sometimes, how your applications are structured can pave the way for you to be selected,” she told PRNigeria staff and interns, in attendance at the parley.

Mal Yushau Shuaib, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, during his power-point presentation told the WSCIJ delegation that their flagship publications produced several in-depth investigations, special reports and feature stories, that jolted the government and other relevant authorities to take proactive actions in addressing some social issues affecting citizens in Niger, Zamfara, Kebbi States and the Federal Capital Territory.

“In the course of their daring investigative adventure, our reporters uncovered other less prominent security challenges in many Kebbi, Niger, Zamfara and even FCT communities, ravaged by banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping. Atimes, they were even threatened not to publish their reports.

“As responsible media outfits that are only concerned about getting factual and credible information for public good, both PRNigeria and Economic Confidential’s brand of journalism is anchored on responsible reporting, which is exposing inactions for timely reactions, to influence positive actions.

“Most of the investigations we did yielded positive results, and also elicited positive reactions from concerned stakeholders in the government circle and other critical socio-economic sectors.

With more funding support from WSCIJ, I believe we can do more, and achieve greater things together,” he said.

Both PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, the flagship publications of the Image Merchants Promotion (IMPR), were among 26 Nigerian media organizations selected for the WSCIJ project, supported by MacArthur Foundation.