The European Union (EU), in collaboration with Search for Common Ground (SFCG) and the Step-Up for Women in Journalism Initiative (SWIJ), has trained female journalists in career advancement strategies.

The training also focused on equipping participants with digital skills to help them adapt to the rapidly evolving media landscape.

The two-day workshop, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday and was organised by SWIJ in partnership with the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Rivers State chapter.

The event had the theme, “Career Advancement Amid Evolving Dynamics.”

It was funded by the EU with support from SFCG Nigeria, Media Career Development Network (MCDN), and the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND).

 Team Lead of SWIJ, Ann Godwin, said the training aimed to equip female journalists with essential digital tools and strategies to stay competitive in the changing journalism industry.

She noted the importance of emotional intelligence in career progression, noting that success was driven not just by knowledge, but by how that knowledge was applied to create value and societal impact.

Ms Godwin advised participants to set clear career goals, develop a positive mindset, prioritise self-care, learn from past experiences, and tackle challenges with emotional maturity.

In her keynote address, former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari, cautioned journalists against over-reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in investigative reporting.

Acknowledging the benefits of AI in journalism, she underscored the importance of critical thinking and human input.

Ms Semenitari also encouraged women journalists to invest in continuous self-development, adding that their natural intuition gave them an edge in investigative reporting, an area often underutilised.

Speaking during a session, a member of the Common Ground Journalism Forum, Elizabeth Aduku, urged journalists to leverage social media for community peacebuilding.

She highlighted the need for conflict sensitivity, digital literacy, and fact-checking skills to combat misinformation.

Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator for SFCG, Sunny Dada, advocated solution-focused journalism.

He warned against sensational reporting that could incite conflict and instead urged journalists to promote unity through constructive storytelling.

Similarly, Executive Director of MCDN, Lekan Otufodunrin, encouraged journalists to routinely update their professional profiles and upgrade their skills in areas such as fact-checking, data journalism, analysis, and multimedia content production.

(NAN)