Lagos NUJ, Google NewsLab Train 150 Journalists On Research Tools

The Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ ) in collaboration with Google NewsLab on Thursday has trained the first batch of 150 journalists on Google tools for fact-checking and verification for better news reporting. 

Chairman, NUJ Lagos Council, Adeleye Ajayi said in his address at the training that it would assist journalists to have a grasp of how to use Google digital tools for research and reporting better stories.

Ajayi said that the training was the first batch of 150 out of the 600 journalists to be trained in four batches.

The NUJ chairman said that the training would create more room for an advanced deep dive on search and image research tools as well as fact-checking and verification.

He said that in addition, the training would bring speed and accuracy into news production.

According to him, it will also inculcate in the reporter factual reporting and update knowledge of what is being reported.

‘’I will implore everyone here today to concentrate and make the best use of the next six hours of training to improve our various output to our news production henceforth,"

‘’I am delighted at the joint training between Google News Lab and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos State Council,"

‘’This is a training session most journalists in Lagos Council have been looking forward to; in all 600 journalists will participate in four batches,” he said.

According to him, the training fundamentals and verification for news are very germane.

He, however, appreciated the management of Google NewsLab for the laudable and giant stride initiative aimed at improving the skills of journalists not only in Nigeria and Africa but globally.

Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communication Officer, West Africa, Google, said that the training was to help improve news production and information disseminating.

According to him, journalists have helped the public to become more intelligent and smarter people.

“The training is to help journalists to improve in their works,"

“We understand and recognise this. That is why we at Google enjoy working with the press; we are helping them use our tools to be more efficient and effective,"

“The journalists will be beneficial to us and the public as well; the training would be a positive, not just for the press but for everyone.”

A participant, Vera Chukwumerije, former chairman, Federal Information chapel, said that the training would improve news reporting leveraging Google tools.

Chukwumerije said that it exposed journalists to Google tools that could enhance news reporting that had been ignored prior to the training.

She, however, appreciated the NUJ state Council for organising such training while encouraging the executives not to rest on their oars.