Premium Times Academy trains journalists on peace, conflict-sensitive reporting

Premium Times Academy, the capacity-building arm of Premium Times Services Limited, began a two-day training for journalists from various media outlets across the country on peace and conflict-sensitive reporting on Wednesday in Abuja.

The training, which emphasised factual, accurate reporting, included several sessions aimed at understanding the nature, causes, and dynamics of conflicts, as well as ethical standards on hate speech and fake information.

It also seeks to upskill journalists on how to report on conflicts, verify news sourced from social media, and gather humanitarian information.

The facilitators included academic and media experts.

In 2025, the academy trained journalists on business, economy and financial reporting, but this year focused on how journalists should report conflict.

Understanding the nature of conflicts

Professor of African history, peace and conflict studies, Isaac Albert, helped participants understand the nature, causes and dynamics of conflict and why journalists need to understand the context of conflict to report accurately.

Mr Albert said, “You need to dig deep beyond the surface to report the actual conflict; this can be unearthed through investigative journalism. Do not report only on the effect of conflict.”

He also stressed that journalists should avoid sensationalism, reporting unverified claims, stereotyping, one-sided reports and giving direct publicity to hate speech, as these can escalate conflicts in society.

Applying ethical standards to hate speech

Similarly, Joan Hassan, an associate professor of communication and media studies, stressed objectivity, avoiding hate speech and avoiding circulating fake news. “It is our responsibility as journalists to mitigate hate speech.”

She encouraged news organisations to condemn hate speech, especially in the electioneering season. As Nigeria prepares for its 2027 general elections, political campaigns have been marked by controversial remarks from public figures.

For instance, prominent Islamic cleric Sani Jingir controversially described Nigeria as a Muslim-majority country and called for mass support for the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 while condemning whoever opposed it.

Ms Hassan encouraged journalists to condemn such rhetoric; she also highlighted the need to detach bias from their reportage.

Practical principles to conflict-sensitive reporting

The Managing Editor of PREMIUM TIMES, Idris Akinbajo, led the discussion on applying conflict-sensitive principles to practical reporting scenarios.

“Our job as journalists is to report facts. The fundamental principle of our job is accuracy,” Mr Akinbajo stated.

Mr Akinbajo and Mr Albert stressed the importance of understanding the cycles of conflict and recognising its early stage.

“Part of our responsibilities is to help readers understand the root problems,” Mr Akinbajo said.

He urged journalists not only to focus on violence.

“When we focus on violence, we also miss the opportunity to send early warning signals about impending confrontation,” he said.

Sourcing relevant humanitarian information

Musikilu Mojeed, the editor-in-chief of PREMIUM TIMES, shared insights on how journalists can source relevant humanitarian information.

Mr Mojeed explained that humanitarian crises create a need for urgent information for affected populations, responders and decision-makers. He noted that reliable information supports humanitarian response.

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“How humanitarian crises are handled depends largely on how journalists do their work,” Mr Mojeed said.

He urged journalists to focus on solution-based journalism in humanitarian crises. It is not enough to report on casualties and impact but to “go back to the communities and know how they are trying to resolve their issues,” he stressed.

Mr Mojeed also noted the importance of data in humanitarian reports. He explained how information can indicate trends, maps and patterns of issues, expose gaps in humanitarian responses and help the verification of claims.

He urged journalists to always fact-check data they come across because it could be manipulated.

Fact-checking news from social media

Oluwaseyi Ayeni, Standard Editor at PREMIUM TIMES, highlighted the guidelines for sourcing news from social media. Mrs Ayeni reminded media practitioners that their role had transcended from gatekeepers to gatecheckers.

She stressed the verification and authentication of content. She said this can be done through source, content and permission checking.