A non-governmental organisation – Pro-Poor Development Media Network (PDM-Network) has launched a coalition of journalists reporting developmental issues in Nigeria, and Africa by extension.
The coalition aimed at breaking barriers of collaborations among media houses, journalists, and development partners including researchers.
The new frontier, named “Pro-poor Development Journalists’ Coalition (PDJC)”, according to the Secretary of the Board of Directors of PDM-Network, Omobayo Azeez, is a project dedicated to inclusive media coverage and promoting mutually beneficial collaborations.
The official inauguration of the forum was held recently during a membership onboarding session and an engagement with members of African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), headquartered in the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
The consortium of researchers works across African cities including Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, and Maiduguri in the country’s Northeast. It is a six-year project funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Organisation (FCDO) of the UK government. Also, the consortium is committed to researching core developmental issues of health, education, and housing, among others.
During the inaugural partnership meeting, the ACRC’s Communications and Impact Manager, Chris Jordan, highlighted the need to bridge the gap between researchers and journalists, emphasising the role of journalists in communicating research output for communities’ benefits.
About PDM-Network and PDJC
The Secretary of the PDM-Network’s Board of Directors, Mr Azeez, explained that the organisation is aimed at galvanising support for inclusive media coverage through promotion of initiatives that can provide platforms for the disadvantaged people in the society to have their voices heard.
The PDM-Network’s board of directors is chaired by a veteran broadcaster, Bimbo Oloyede, and co-chaired by the celebrated renowned journalist and Publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, Dapo Olorunyomi.
The Weekend titles Editor of the Guardian Newspaper, Dr Garba Alabi Kabir is also a member of the board.
According to Mr Azeez, the core objective of the establishment of PDJC is to advocate consideration for the poor in public policies and programmes to create avenues for engagement between the poor and the government, using the media as the link.
“PDJC is a flagship of PDM-Network and it is one of the many inclusive media initiatives to expect from the network. PDJC will benefit from various interventions including training and fellowship opportunities for journalists, and embarking on excursions to enable journalists to do stories that matter, and drive development to those found at the lowest rung of the society’s ladder.
“Although we are starting in Nigeria, the coalition has been designed to put on a Pan-African outlook, and the board is committed to working with partners, both local and international.”
He added that the coalition comprises journalists who have demonstrated a passion for development reporting and underreported issues that affect the poor, and across various newsrooms in Nigeria and beyond.
On his part, Kabir Adejumo, who is the Acting Coordinator of PDM-Network said “this initiative is aimed at giving voice to those who are not as news makers. Our focus is on people who may not be heard except through community-based journalism and I am glad we have a fantastic team and coalition intentional about stories of the disadvantaged.”
Speaking earlier, the Chairperson of PDM-Network’s Board of Directors, Mrs. Oloyede, expressed the commitment of the board to supporting initiatives aimed at advancing quality reporting in the interest of the poor, noting that the media has the capacity to set an agenda and raise consciousness among their people.
Mrs. Oloyede said the power of collaboration cannot be overlooked, and urged the members of the new coalition to remain committed to public good.
“I think it is a great idea, which is why I came on board, and I’m all for finding ways and means of ensuring that the voiceless find ways and means of getting heard,” she said.
PDM-Network/ACRC partnership
In his short presentation titled: “Research Communications, Engagement and Impact,” Mr Jordan of ACRC highlighted the role of ACRC in supporting journalists to report on critical issues of development including health, security, housing, and poverty, among others, noting that ‘communications help with impact, profile and engagement.”
He further highlighted that impact requires communication, knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement, influencing, advocacy, and uptake.
He cited the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) which defines research impact as the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy.
He said co-producing with policymakers maximises impact potential, citing an analysis of 500 development economic projects funded by the International Growth Centre.
The analysis shows that designing and implementing a research project with a policymaker increases the likelihood of policy change by 17 to 20 percentage points.
“This magnitude is substantial when compared to the mere 3 per cent of non-partnership projects that resulted in evidence uptake,” he said.
Also, the Director of Uptake for ACRC, Ismail Ibraheem, a Professor of Journalism and Communication Studies at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, said the ACRC project seeks to use the media to influence policy decisions by amplifying the voices of the marginalised in society.
Mr Ibraheem further noted that ACRC provides platforms for journalists to gain access to research works while emphasising the need for media partnerships for development research, and advocating for the poor through public policies and programmes.
“We want to look at how we can help to bring their voices to bear with the sort of policies that government officials implement and articulate in the public arena,” the professor said.
