The Association of Kano Online Journalists (ASKOJ), in collaboration with the International Press Centre (IPC), has organised a one-day capacity-building workshop to strengthen professional journalism and democratic accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The workshop, held under Component 4 (Support to Media) of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN III) Programme, brought together journalists and media practitioners to promote ethical standards, responsible reporting and the media’s role in democratic governance.
In his remarks, the Chairman of ASKOJ, Comrade Yakubu Salisu, stressed the need for journalists to go beyond reporting political activities and campaign statements to interrogate issues, demand accountability from public office seekers and amplify the concerns of ordinary citizens.
“As journalists, our responsibility goes beyond reporting political activities and publishing campaign statements. We must interrogate issues, demand accountability from those seeking public office and ensure that the voices and concerns of ordinary citizens are adequately reflected in our reports,” Salisu said.
He urged online journalists to demonstrate professionalism, accuracy and responsibility as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.
“As we approach the 2027 general elections, online journalists must demonstrate a high level of professionalism, accuracy and responsibility. We must resist the temptation to promote sensationalism, misinformation or partisan interests at the expense of public interest,” he added.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, underscored the media’s responsibility to provide credible information that would enable citizens to make informed electoral decisions.
“The credibility of the electoral process is also influenced by the quality of information available to citizens. Journalists therefore have a responsibility to provide accurate, balanced and independent reports that enable voters to make informed decisions,” Arogundade said.
He noted that democracy could not thrive where the media abandoned its watchdog responsibility, urging journalists to hold political actors and public institutions accountable while maintaining the highest standards of professional ethics.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Rukayyah Ali of the Department of Information and Media Studies, Faculty of Communication, Bayero University Kano, presented a paper titled, “2027 General Election in the Context of Democratic and Accountability Reporting: Scanning the Electoral Environment and Reporting Citizens’ Priority Concerns.”
She urged journalists to pay close attention to the electoral environment and identify issues that directly affect citizens, stressing the need to make public concerns central to election coverage.
According to her, election reporting should go beyond political campaigns, personalities and party activities to focus on issues that affect the everyday lives of citizens, while ensuring that political actors and public institutions are held accountable.
She also highlighted the importance of issue-based journalism in providing voters with the information they need to make informed electoral choices.
Similarly, a fact-checker with Nigeria Democratic Report, Mr. Olusola Oludiran, delivered a presentation titled, “Integrating Fact-Checking for Democratic and Accountability Reporting.”
Oludiran examined basic fact-checking tools and techniques, including a practical demonstration of Infor Verify, equipping participants with skills to identify misinformation, verify claims and ensure accuracy in their reports.
He stressed the importance of integrating fact-checking into everyday newsroom practices, particularly as the spread of misinformation and misleading political narratives poses growing challenges to credible election reporting.
The workshop also highlighted the increasing responsibility of online journalists in combating fake news, sensationalism and disinformation as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Participants were urged to strengthen their verification practices, uphold professional ethics and ensure that their reports remain balanced, factual and citizen-centred.
The organisers said the initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian journalists to contribute to democratic governance, transparency and accountability through responsible and professional media practice.