Aniefon Dick
Port Harcourt – Female journalists in Rivers State have been trained on career growth, resilience, and the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in reporting.
The two-day workshop, held August 21–22 at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Complex, Port Harcourt, was organised by the Common Ground Journalism Forum and the Step-Up for Women in Journalism Initiative (SWIJ) under an EU-funded project implemented by Search for Common Ground Nigeria and partners.
Opening the training, former Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Dame Ibim Semenitari, warned against overreliance on AI. “You can use AI, but not as a replacement for your brains,” she said, urging women to tap into their intuition for stronger investigative reporting.
Sessions covered solutions journalism, emotional intelligence, and social media for peacebuilding. Elizabeth Aduku of Common Ground Journalism Forum stressed conflict sensitivity and fact-checking online content, while SWIJ Team Lead Ann Godwin highlighted emotional maturity and resilience as keys to career success.
Other facilitators, including Sunny Dada and media trainer Lekan Otufodunrin, advised journalists to embrace solutions journalism and conduct regular “career checks.”
Panelists identified lack of mentorship, poor networking, and domestic pressures as barriers to women’s progress in the newsroom, recommending stronger mentoring platforms and continuous training.
