By Aminat Miskilu
The Editor-in-Chief and Team Lead of DevReporting, Mojeed Alabi, has called on journalists to contextualise development stories from the lived realities of communities, describing every development issue as “locally global” and explaining that even globally recognised challenges can be traced back to specific communities.
He made the call at a bi-monthly media journalism clinic organised by the Media Career Development Network (MCDN) in partnership with the Public Affairs Department of the U.S. Consulate in Lagos.
Mr Alabi cautioned against an overly activist approach to journalism that focuses mainly on exposing wrongdoing, noting that such reporting often discourages sources from opening up, thereby stifling the flow of information and limiting social improvement. Instead, he advised participants to adopt people-centred, issue-driven, evidence-based, solutions-oriented, and contextually grounded storytelling that bridges development gaps.
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According to him, development journalism thrives on the pillars of collaboration, education, and empowerment. He stressed the need for journalists to stop competing over who breaks news first and instead collaborate in monitoring outcomes and tracking the real-world effects of stories.
Multimedia storytelling
On her part, Premium Times’ reporter, Mariam Ileyemi, highlighted the importance of multimedia storytelling in development reporting.
She urged participants to invest in quality gadgets such as smartphones and cameras, ensure proper documentation, and provide clear photo and video evidence, including environmental shots, to strengthen credibility and deepen impact. She also emphasised the importance of consistent follow-up on stories.
U.S. Consulate pledges support for journalists
Earlier, the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Consulate, Julie McKay, reaffirmed the Consulate’s commitment to supporting journalists and journalism as a pillar of democratic governance.
She disclosed that the department aims to expand the media clinic beyond Lagos to other parts of Nigeria. She noted that the consulate has several programmes, resources, and American Spaces across Lagos that journalists can leverage for professional development.
Journalists charged to sustain conversations on development journalism
The Executive Director of MCDN, Lekan Otufodunrin, concluded the session by urging participants to ensure that conversations around development journalism extend beyond the training room and inform their everyday reporting.
