HumAngle has concluded day two of its three-day training of journalists on accountability journalism in conflict zones.

The training, which started on Monday, May 13, is part of a six-month-long accountability fellowship programme aimed at empowering up-and-coming journalists in northeastern Nigeria to probe the transparency in governance of states troubled with humanitarian crises. 

The fellows are expected to hold their communities accountable, with accuracy and integrity in telling stories about victims of armed violence and the handling of humanitarian crises by state authorities. The fellowship programme is supported by the MacArthur Foundation, a global institution investing in creative solutions to critical challenges.

In the second leg of the three-day event, Isaac Oritogun, Programmes Director at HumAngle Foundation,  interacted with the journalists, telling them about the successes of past fellows, including executing several accountability stories that inspired individuals and state authorities to take action against perpetrators of armed violence in the region.

“If you are dedicated, at the end of the day, you will have the ability to do even more than the former fellows,” Oritogun urged the reporting fellows.

Al’amin Umar, the best-graduating fellow for the 2023 cohort, shared his experience with the new fellows. Umar revealed that dedication, commitment, and collaboration with his colleagues gave him an edge over others. 

The fellows also participated in a session on generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which was facilitated by Gerard Donnelly, the co-founder of Legitimate. The virtual training session gave insights into generative AI, prompt writing, and guidance on ethically accessing and using various tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude.ai.

Then, Khadija Gidado, a senior IT officer at HumAngle, trained the fellows on using the Freedom of Information (FOI) platform to obtain important documents and information from government institutions.

Exploring storytelling techniques, Angela Umoru, a creative multifaceted communicator,  took the reporters through Solution Journalism, opening the session with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk, titled: ‘The Danger of a Single Story’. 

“How do we get those positive perspectives if we don’t have people reporting about empowerment stories?” she asked. “Do not just focus on the negative.”

Dr Jurbe Simon, a clinical psychologist and the Director of HumAngle Sanctuary took a session with the fellows, teaching them the importance of mental health safety while reporting in conflict zones.

The training ended with emphases on the learning and expectations of the fellowship. Ahmad Salkida, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HumAngle, reiterated the need for the fellows to avoid plagiarism in their reports and urged them against sexual and physical violence in the course of the fellowship.