US Trains Journalists On National Security, Military Reportage

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The United States Consulate in Nigeria Monday, began a three- day training for journalists  covering the Defense beat, with a view to building their capacity in the coverage of national security, terrorism, conflicts and peace building effort.

In his opening remark at the Shoregate Hotel, Ikeja, its Public Affairs Officer, Russell Brooks, explained that the training workshop themed ‘ Defense and National Security Reporting ‘seminar was aimed among other goals,  to widen participants’ scope of knowledge on the Military and in turn disseminate to members of the public.

He stated that as a country that believed in democracy, the US would not relent in supporting countries like Nigeria which had embraced democracy, According to him: “Supporting democracy requires more that than conducting  elections. It also involves good governance in form of security,  good governance in form of how these institutions in the security area are responding to the need of  the public and whether they are properly accountable to the public.

In order to ensure that the institutions are accountable to the public , it requires a script  from the press. “Also, in the area of national security it requires a press that is knowledgeable about the organisation.  At times it is difficult as civilians in the media to properly understand military culture and history. Therefore,   one of  the things that we can do to help reporters do their jobs is to assist  them understand that culture. We hope that participants would  have a fixed understanding about military and be  able to report effectively at the end of this training. We also hope they will have  networked to enable themselves, their  colleagues and other media institutions do their job effectively”.

The course  facilitators are: former Director, Defense Information, Maj.Gen.Chris Olukolade (rtd) and Mr Otto Kresiher, a co- founder of the US- based Military Reporters and Editors Association and  an independent defense reporter with about five decade experience. Topics to be treated at the three-day training are Military and National Identity, Language of the Military, ,Specific aspect of defense / national  security journalism and Main bases and camps among others.