Journalists in Nigeria have been to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reach a wider audience and deepen their effectiveness on the use of social media.
Isa Musa Ali, an expert with the America-based Digital Forensic Laboratory gave the advice in a paper he presented at one -day training workshop organised for journalists and civil society organisations in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The training workshop with the theme “Effective Use of Social Media ” was organised by Stallion Times Media in Conjunction with MacArthur Foundation.
According to Musa, there is need for professional journalists to embrace
artificial intelligence especially the one related to journalism, to have an edge on social media platforms.
He said embracing artificial intelligence has become a major challenge but stressed its importance to the social media.
“There are software you can use now to create a radio and TV stations as well as online newspapers.
“You will just set all the parameters, then go home and sleep, and the artificial intelligence through ‘operational intelligence algorithm’ can work on its own.
“It would broadcast news without nobody in the studio, and also write and publish news.
“This is going to be the key challenge for journalists,” Musa said.
He also the need for journalists to be abreast of developments in ICT to distinguish themselves from quacks parading themselves as journalists and social media influencers.
According to the expert,fake news are spreading fast and gaining grounds on social media because professional journalists are lagging behind in making effective use of the social media.
“When there is a story and it comes from a source that is more genuine, it generates more traffic because the person that posted first would have more followers.
“So, journalists have to stand on their feet and be the first line of breaking news in the state and even outside the state,” he said.
Musa then charged journalists to promote transparency and accountability in governance through their reports.
During the one-day training workshop, the forensic expert made presentations on “The Basics of Social Media”, “Social Media and Effective Content Development”, Using Social Media to Build Relationships”, and How to Use Social Media to Tell Stories”.
Earlier, while welcoming participants, the Project Co-ordinator, Stallion Times, Mr Isiyaku Ahmed, called on journalists and the civil society organisations to collaborate and leverage on social media to improve their advocacy.
He said the aim of the workshop was to equip
participants with necessary knowledge to make effective use of the social media.
The one-day training workshop was held on Saturday, July 29, 2023.
The organiser of the workshop , Stallion Times Media Services Ltd.is
implementing a Participatory Governance and Media Literacy project tagged “Get Involved, Dialogue and Improve (G-DRIP)” in Kano and Kogi states.
Stallion Times is a partner in the Collaborative Media Project (Collaborating for
media independence and government accountability) with support from the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism, funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
The project is the organization’s contribution towards promoting good governance in the country.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
