Experts Advocate ‘Interpretative Reporting’ for Tackling Natural Disasters
As natural and humanitarian disasters wreak havoc in various parts of Nigeria, poor preparedness and response system coupled with inadequate awareness at community/individual levels on conflict-sensitivity has paved the way for potential conflict escalation.
But experts at a “One-Day Media Training on Early Warning and Early Response Reporting,” said that embracing interpretative reporting will deepen understanding and well-informed analysis on Early Warning signals, to elicit response to potential conflict indicators.
The experts, at the media training organized by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-NIGERIA) with support from Open Society Foundation Africa (OSF-AFRICA), observed that continued threats by armed opposition groups against communal-centric intelligent gathering and information provision on Early Warning signals hamper adequate and efficient response by relevant authorities.
They further argued that sensationalized reporting, politicized and highly-commercialized media outfits with profit-oriented tendencies impede credibility and professionalism in journalism, as well as accuracy in reporting Early Warning signals.
They said: “There is need for gender-inclusive information gathering and reporting on Early Warning signals to ensure well-balanced and appropriate response with greater recognition of human, political and socio-economic rights of women.
“Also, there is need for institutionalizing Early Warning and Early Response policy and structure across media outfits to coordinate in-house-driven expertise to accurately identify and analyze sensationalized reporting processes.
“Equally, there is need for improved media-stakeholders partnership in information sharing and reporting for well-coordinated, all-inclusive and targeted responses to Early Warning signals.
“Again, one vital thing is embracing interpretative reporting in Early Warning and Early Response systems through proactive background checking, context building, precedence tracing, causes and effects analysis, story localisation and presentation of diverse opinions.
Meanwhile, a cross of disaster management experts at a separate capacity-building workshop for community observers on ‘Early Warning and Early Response,’ organized by CISLAC, with the support OSF-AFRICA, harped on immediate consideration for gender mainstreaming, human rights, political and socio-economic empowerment for women and youth in Early Warning system and process to promote inclusive participation and adequate response.
According to them, inadequate gender mainstreaming in community-based Early Warning effort widens existing disparity in response system and process.
“There is need for institutionalizing peace parameters in conflict prevention, while understanding the criticality of inter-connected key stakeholders, geographical target and gender inclusion,” they said.
