The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) don announce say dem go host one conference on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. The conference title be ‘AI, Free Press, and Civic Space: Tools, Challenges, and Future of Investigative Reporting’. The event go hold for Abuja.
According to Motunrayo Alaka, the Executive Director/CEO of WSCIJ, the conference go feature speakers wey go discuss how artificial intelligence dey affect investigative journalism, press freedom, and civic space. Other topics wey dem go focus on include media laws and regulations, freedom of expression, and the role of technology in promoting transparency and accountability.
The conference aim to promote deeper understanding of journalists’ fundamental rights and free press principles. It also go focus on how technology dey intersect with the future of investigative journalism and democracy.
During the event, WSCIJ go launch their 2023 media monitoring report, which be a follow-up to the 2022 report titled ‘Hushed Voices and the media’s defence of the civic space.’ This initiative be part of WSCIJ’s Civic Space Guard programme, which dem launch in December 2021.
The Civic Space Guard programme dey equip journalists with necessary resources, training, and support to perform their duties effectively and safely. It also reinforce the media’s role as an independent guardian of civic space through public conversations, media monitoring, and recognition of reporters who expose impunity and support fundamental human rights of citizens.
Attendance for the conference go be open to investigative journalists, media executives, news managers, tech innovators, human rights activists, lawyers, security personnel, government officials, civil society organisations, and representatives from various ministries, departments and parastatals.
