Soyinka’s Centre for Investigative Journalism Hosts Conference on AI, Free Press, Civic Space

…Launches 2023 Media Monitoring Report

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), in a bid to explore the evolving challenges and opportunities in investigative journalism, will host a significant conference on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. 

Themed ‘AI, Free Press, and Civic Space: Tools, Challenges, and the Future of Investigative Reporting,’ the event will take place at the Centenary Hall, Ibeto Hotels, Abuja.

According to a statement signed by Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director/CEO, WSCIJ, the one-day conference promises to be a robust platform for deliberating the impact of artificial intelligence on investigative journalism, press freedom, and the broader civic space. 

Speakers will delve into pertinent areas including media laws and regulations, freedom of expression, and the expanding role of technology in promoting transparency and accountability in governance. 

Discussions will further touch on how AI is reshaping investigative reporting and the implications for the future of democracy.

The event will also serve as the launchpad for the second edition of WSCIJ’s Journalism and Civic Space report. 

The 2023 media monitoring report follows the 2022 edition titled Hushed Voices and the Media’s Defence of the Civic Space, which highlighted the challenges faced by journalists in safeguarding democratic principles. 

Both reports are key components of WSCIJ’s Civic Space Guard programme, a long-running initiative that aims to fortify civic space through media engagement.

Since its launch in December 2021, the Civic Space Guard programme has provided journalists with critical resources, training, and support to carry out their duties effectively and safely. 

By focusing on public conversations, media monitoring, and recognising journalists who champion human rights and expose impunity, WSCIJ underscores the essential role of the media in maintaining an independent civic space.

The Centre’s Civic Space Guard programme is currently being implemented in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) under the initiative titled, ‘Leveraging the Power of the Media to Fortify the Civic Space and Tackle Malinformation.’ 

The WSCIJ noted that this collaboration receives support from the Netherlands Embassy, further demonstrating the global significance of defending press freedom and investigative journalism.

The conference is expected to draw participants from a wide range of sectors including investigative journalists, media executives, tech innovators, human rights activists, lawyers, security personnel, government officials, and representatives from civil society organisations. 

With this diverse group, the conference is set to foster meaningful conversations around the intersection of technology and the media, and the future of journalism within democratic spaces.