NEMA, Sokoto Operations Office today hosted Journalists covering Disaster beats and Public Relations Officers of Disaster Response Agencies in a round table meeting to create a good working synergy in the business of disseminating Disaster information.
Head of Operations, Mr. Aliyu S. Kafindangi who was represented by Head of Account Unit, Mr. Abubakar Yusuf in his opening remarks said the meeting has become necessary because the media and particularly Journalists are stakeholders in Disaster Management. He noted that in Disaster Management proper information dissemination and management is sacrosanct, hence the need to ensure smooth collaboration to ensure success. He noted that effective Disaster management is attained if the entire stakeholders are on the same page.
Information Officer, NEMA, SOO, Dahir K. Kure who delivered a lecture on Reporting Disaster Issues while noting that people rely on the media and especially Journalists to meet their information need cautioned that a little error in the fact while reporting Disaster issues can exacerbate the situation. The lecture covered terminologies in Disaster Management, understanding Disaster issues, common errors in Reporting Disasters, roles of the media in DM, phases of reporting Disasters and tit bits for covering Disasters.
The meeting provided a platform for Journalists and PROs of Response agencies to interact and ask questions and proffer better ways of working together. Participants took turns to make contributions and observations.
The meeting had attendance from NAN, Arise TV, Rima radio, Rima TV, leadership newspaper, punch newspaper, Royal FM (FRCN), Vision FM, Garkuwa FM, NTA Sokoto, Nigeria Police Force, FRSC, NSCDC, Federal Fire Service and State Fire Service.
