By Rairom Luka Dala and Sarah Embuawazi
The Association of Mass Communication Students (AMCOMS), University of Jos Chapter, in collaboration with Prime Progress Campus Lab, held a two-day seminar on Solutions Journalism [SOJO] at the department’s Public Relations and Advertisement Laboratory (PRAD LAB).
The event provided insights on Solutions Journalism and offered practical training for interested students.
Mr Innocent Eteng, the Managing Director of Prime Progress Lab, enlightened the students on the ethics guiding journalism as a profession. He said, “Accountability is for responsibility”, hence buttressed the need for student journalists to adhere to the ethics of journalism in order to have a successful career in the field.
Similarly, Mr Ogah Monday, the head of the Editorial Unit, Prime Progress Lab, emphasized on the purpose of the Prime Progress Lab. He said, “Our purpose is not only to inform and entertain but to edify and inspire people through solutions stories. We want to grow an army of writers who do solution stories and we are intentional about it”.
He also drew student’s attention to the need for fact-checking to enhance trust and credibility which will facilitate readership.
Gyang Christopher Bonaventure, the President, Association of Mass Communication Students [AMCOMS], appreciated both the guests and students for making the program worthwhile. “We all are aware that Mass Communication as a field is ephemeral. It is germane that students keep in touch with new trends and the dynamic nature of mass communication”
He assured students that more educational programs are coming their way and urged them to properly utilize such opportunities to help themselves.
A participant of two days seminar, Bitrus Margeret Noro, a 300 level student of the department of Mass Communication said, “My aim for attending the program was to increase my writing portfolio in order to grab opportunities with organizations and big news channels”. She revealed that the program was beneficial and more of it should be organized often to help students.
In the same vein, Bulmun Dakwal, a 400 level student of the department revealed, “Truth be told, I didn’t know much about Solutions Journalism. Though I always tell my friend that I want to go into Solutions Journalism and fortunately during the training, I was able to know more about SOJO and get more insights on how to pitch SOJO stories”.
Also, Dachi Alphonsus Kefas, a 300 level student of the department expressed delight about the program and applauded the organizers, while also voiced his concern on why Mass Communication students allowed others who are not in the field occupy the communication space.
He further stressed that if people who were not trained in the field were doing well, then why wouldn’t communication students do better. “Thank God for Prime Progress Lab. I see this program as a catalyst and an opportunity for mass communication students to grab” he said.
