Specialist charges Gombe Journalists on social media engagement
Journalists in Gombe state have been charged to enhance their usage of social media handles in creating awareness on Health Matters.
An Information Communication Technology (ICT) specialist Mr Mark Malele, gave the charge while facilitating a session on Media for content sharing at a quarterly meeting of the Gombe Media Working Group (MWG) on health supported by the Challenge Initiative TCI which took place at the white hill hotel Gombe State .
Malele said sharing of media content was beyond the traditional way of information dissemination, and advised the journalists to always establish their goals, understand their audience and pick the right platforms to share their news content.
“Know what your friends or followers want and then post your content accordingly educate and sensitize,” Malele said.
He also encouraged them to keep their news contents more consistent in order to gain followers and fans.
Malele said, “Contents sharing is a big part of using social media effectively,but if you do not get it right ,you will not get engagement. Your contents must be well scripted and edited to trigger emotion for positive action.”
In a remark, the Director Community and family Health of the Gombe state primary health care development agency Dr. Maryam Abubakar, applauded efforts of journalists in the state, their commitments towards enlightening the public on health matters.
Abubakar stressed that that child spacing commodities have been provided by the government and challenged the media to further enlighten women to access the services.
” The agency is working with other partners to train health workers on soft ware for data collection and record keeping,” Abubakar noted.
A representative of the state family planning unit Mrs Aise Fada, noted that effort of the media in sensitising women on child spacing has made many women become aware and access the services In the state.
The Gombe State Programme Manager of the TCI Yakubu Usman Abubakar, represented by Samuel Timothy Winkle, urged members to take ownership of the group so that when TCI leaves Gombe activities of the group would continue.
Earlier, the state chairperson Media Working Group Rebecca Caleb Maina, said the meeting is to review activities of the group surrounding child spacing and other health issues.
She noted with delight that efforts of the group in making positive impacts on the society, calling on them to maintain the effort.
“You have been doing great jobs,your reports have been making positive impacts on the people,they respond and take action on what is expected of them which is what is expected of any news report,” Maina said
The chairperson appreciated The challenge Initiative TCI,for supporting and responding to the needs of group,the ministry of health and the primary health care development agency for providing technical assistance.
She added, “We will continue to work together to improve the health status of people of Gombe State.”
