Trust TV’s journalists, Zainab Bala and Abdulazeez Abdulazeez, alongside 11 others have been nominated to be honoured at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, WSCIJ, Amplify In-depth Media Awards for investigative journalists tomorrow.
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), WSCIJ, Mrs Motunrayo Alaka, announced this at a press briefing held in Lagos.
She said the award is a collaborative effort of 10 representatives of the media and journalism cohort of the MacArthur Foundation who are enthusiastic about accountability, journalism and democracy.
According to her, the event will include a conference, conversations and debate sessions as well as the 17th Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.
2023: Facebook releases policies to tackle fake news, voter interference
Coalition seeks increased taxes on soft drinks
She said, “We will be starting the award with a conversation. The major thing we see is that many great works of reporters, need to be amplified; especially in this age of technological advancements and the fact that there are so many platforms that enable social interaction that are available. There is news, but how do we ensure that news that is most important about threats to the livelihood of the people, threats to developments? We are coming together as investigative journalists and people who love good governance and democracy, to ensure that the works of journalists do not get buried as they contribute to civic education.
“As we reward journalists on that day, 13 journalists in all, we also want to highlight the price that these journalists pay, the fact that these stories do not come easily and other factors, which serve as stumbling blocks for these journalists, as we open the awards.”
She also said honorary awards would be given to deserving journalists who had made impacts in various spaces over the years.
“We will also give out honorary awards in two categories: Lifetime award for journalistic excellence to Stella Jacob, News Director at TVC for her three-decade-long work in investigating reporting. Abiola Akinyode Afolabi, Deputy Director and founder of WARDC, will receive the award for the human right defender,” Alaka said.
