Polio Reporting
At the Bauchi Media Capacity Building Training held at Hazibal Suites on the 28th of April, 2014, were journalists from the North-East geo-political zone of Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe and Maiduguri. All these states were represented by staff from both Television and Radio organizations. Also in attendance were resource persons from UNICEF; Akinlabi Jimoh and Moji Afolabi and a veteran journalist, Yunusa Aliyu from Newage Network.
In his opening presentation, the UNICEF representative, introduced the participants to the aim and objectives of the training to include; broadening the capacity of journalists on polio reporting, in the context of immunization and child survival, particularly on how to enhance societal attitudinal change towards the acceptance of polio interventions in their states.
He outlined key training objectives to include:
- To improve quality of polio and routine immunization report in the media.
- To increase frequency of polio and routine immunization report in the media from a mass of cooperated story ideas.
- To foster stakeholders support and acceptance of immunization including polio interventions in Nigeria.
- To establish a network of immunization reports who will lead the campaign against polio and increasing the demand for routine immunization.
- To promote public awareness of polio infections, prevention and interventions.
The training he further said, will afford the participants some learning objectives thus:
- To write accurate report on polio from economic, social and individual perspectives (human angle stories).
- Demystify myths and misconception about polio and immunization exercise.
- Apply develop story-ideas in their day-to-day reportage on polio.
- Explain the mode of transmission and prevention of poliomyelitis
- Tap into various sources of polio data available in Nigeria and beyond.