The Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals (AFYMP) held a training workshop themed – Safety and Precaution for Campus/Freelance Journalists. The workshop which took place at the Health Sciences Lecture Theatre on the 27th of January, 2024 was organized to train campus journalists on how to safeguard themselves while reporting.
Mr. Yinka Olaito, The Executive Director of The Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals, spoke on the need for safety measures to be taken in Investigative News Reporting. He explained the term – A Freelance Journalist as an independent writer who submits articles or news reports to various publications or companies on a per-job basis and receives payment for their work.
The Director emphasized the importance of taking safety precautions as a Campus Journalist. In His words, ‘A Journalist should know his/her blood type, allergies and other basic requirements in case the need to work in a hostile environment arises’. He further stressed how journalists should protect their information by properly encrypting their social media accounts and not revealing their location details online.
‘Before you jump on any story, know the ethics of Journalism’, he said. He spoke on the purpose of knowing the basics of Journalism to avoid landing in any sort of trouble while investigating for news.