By Ayodele Abere
The International Press Centre on Wednesday began a two-day stakeholders’ dialogue for journalists in Ekiti State, aimed at strengthening factual, accurate, and fair coverage ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop in Ado-Ekiti, the IPC Executive Director, Lanre Arogundade explained that the training is funded by the European Union under the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component 4: Support to Media.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media to promote credible elections through factual, accurate and fair reporting, Arogundade said.
Describing the programme as part of a five-year intervention to support democratic governance and improve the media’s role in Nigeria’s electoral process, Arogundade added that fact-checking and inclusive reporting are critical responsibilities for journalists, particularly during election periods, noting that the media must play a central role in ensuring transparency and accountability.
On digital skills, the Director of Journalism Clinic, Mr. Taiwo Obe, popularly referred to as T O, urged journalists to adapt to changing news consumption patterns by adopting digital tools and artificial intelligence.
“My charge to today’s journalists is to retool themselves and learn how to use digital apps and tools in their practice because media consumption habits have changed in the digital milieu, Obe said.
“This according to him requires the use of those apps and tools, even artificial intelligence.” He said the digital transformation of the industry requires continuous skill upgrades for journalists to remain effective.
On his part, Prof. Adebola Aderibigbe of the Department of Mass Communication, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, told participants that coverage of the 2026 poll should be driven by issues rather than personalities.
In his word, “The election will not be defined by personalities. it should be defined by issues. Sensationalisation of issues should not be the bedrock of discussions in the 2026 election,”.
He stressed accuracy, fairness, and balance as core standards. “Fact-check every story. Ensure that your stories are not only correct but cross-checkable.
“Do not hear from Party A without hearing from Party B. Otherwise, the report will be skewed to one side, and once issues of elections are skewed, problems will naturally arise”. The Don advised.
