IPC Trains Osun Journalists On Issue-Based Governorship Election Coverage, Improved AI Knowledge on News Writing
By Abisola Ariwodola,
International Press Center (IPC) implementing European Union to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU – SDGN) programme has trained Journalists in Osun state to support their roles of coverage of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election.
The training which was a two-day Media and Election Stakeholders’ Interaction on Credible Polls in Osun State, also supported the Journalists with knowledge of improved Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on news writing, held in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The Governorship election which has a count down of 38 days is for electorates to make informed choice of voting the right candidate to occupy the seat for the next four years.
The programme which brought together Journalists, Osun Online Media Practitioners, and others is to strengthen collaboration for a transparent, peaceful and credible electoral process.
In his session, Dr Rasheed Adebiyi, Director Research Centre at Fountain University, Osogbo, urged journalists to give greater attention to reports centred on policies, governance and political manifestoes rather than personality-driven political coverage.
On the forthcoming Osun 2026 Governorship Election, he told the journalists to identify the election stories, get a clear pattern and ensure that most of the reporting which focused on political activities, security concerns and campaign events, should be balanced, while more attention should be given to governance issues, policy alternatives and leadership competence.
According to him, “If the media consistently reports political drama, citizens are likely to judge elections through political drama, but if we focus on governance, public policy and evidence, we help citizens make more informed choices.”
He encouraged the media practitioners to move beyond what he described as the “political economy of news” by examining issues that directly affect the welfare of the people and assisting voters to make informed electoral choices.
According to Adebiyi, journalism should not be driven solely by commercial interests but should also promote public good and meaningful societal impact through responsible reporting.
He further advised journalists to scrutinise the records, promises and performance of political parties and their candidates while setting the public agenda through factual and balanced reporting capable of strengthening democratic governance.
“I charge you to prioritise issue-based reports. The contents you push out will go a long way in helping voters to make right choices. Undertake development stories about good governance, governance failures, policy assessment and long-term developmental priorities,” Adebiyi said.
He added, “Don’t let this coming election in Osun be like that of Ekiti where many do not know candidates who contested with Governor Oyebamiji. Lead the public in deeper thinking about the candidates.”
Also speaking, Director of Journalism Clinic, Lagos, Taiwo Obe (TO), urged journalists to improve their analytical skills and embrace Artificial Intelligence as well as other digital tools to produce quality and engaging election reports.
Obe also encouraged media professionals to bridge the information gap for citizens, uphold responsible journalism, safeguard their personal safety while covering elections, combat fake news and misinformation, and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to support a peaceful electoral process.
Highlight of the training of Osun journalists was the idea of creating the Osun Collective, an informal network of interested media organisations that will work together to simplify election issues for citizens through short, engaging and evidence-based content.
Earlier in her opening remark, the IPC Programme Officer, Stella Nwofia, said the workshop was organised to deepen democracy in Osun State, adding that the initiative was funded by the European Union through the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component Four: Support to Media.