The Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu and the Media Education Development Initiative Africa plan to establish a Local News Lab to be housed at the Department of Mass Communications. The MEDIA Local Journalism Project aims to enhance local news coverage by creating in-depth, fact-based journalism across digital and print platforms.
The project is expected to contribute to the strengthening of local journalism while providing educational opportunities for future media professionals. A statement from the Media Education Development Initiative Africa (MEDIA), “a local news lab at IMT that produced notable journalists in Nigeria will help to truly democratize the information sphere thereby giving voices to the voiceless; safeguarding democracy and potentially preserving and promoting the legacy of IMT.”
Importantly, the establishment of the Local News Lab makes IMT a citadel for thought leadership and research in journalism education and practice.
Tapping on MEDIA’s institutional linkages, international ties, and a combined 200 years’ experience of the advisory council in many cross-sectoral projects across the United States and Africa, the tech-driven lab will encourage joint faculty research and scholarship among higher educational institutions in Nigeria and other countries.
The resources at the lab, when fully operational, will help to publish an annual report on the state of local news that tracks and analyzes changes to the local journalism landscape across the country.
The skilled instructors at the lab will emphasize college-led news reporting by students and faculty as crucial and cost-effective for filling gaps in local news.
Additionally, the lab will serve as a hub that catalyzes cross-disciplinary research, supports emerging leaders and convenes experts and policymakers to address the challenges and opportunities posed by the ever-evolving digital society.
While serving the needs of AI education and training, the space for content creation, and podcasting, the lab seeks to be a nexus for emerging issues in technology policy and to advance IMT as a thought leader in technology policy innovation and impact.