Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc recently collaborated with Diamond Publications Limited, organizers of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME), which has run for over two decades since inception. This time around, the Underwriting Firm in conjunction with the Publication Outfit has organized a one-day media workshop for journalists in the country across the print and electronic media. The workshop was aimed at further promoting professionalism amongst journalists with special focus on insurance reporting. The theme of the one-day Journalism workshop was tagged ‘Widening the pools of Excellence’ and was held at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers on April 1, 2014. The Chief Organizer and Administrator of DAME, Mr. Lanre Idowu said the initiative was borne out of the pressing need to enhance journalists’ professional capacity and by extension, equip them with modern methods of news gathering for greater impact and better reporting. He further stated that, “If the goals of impacting positively on the Nigerian Media development landscape are to be realized, reporting standard must be urgently improved upon”. He appreciated the Management of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc for continuously lending its hand of fellowship towards DAME in promoting professionalism and meritocracy amongst Journalists’ in the country. He said the support from the underwriting firm have been very monumental and hopes that other corporate organizations would emulate the laudable initiative of Sovereign Trust Insurance plc. The Head of Corporate Communications and Brand Management of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Mr. Segun Bankole, said that the Media in any society act as the barometer for social conscience and they must be encouraged to continue to play this very critical role. He mentioned that the company signed on with Diamond Awards for Media Excellence DAME, since 2008, to sponsor in perpetuity, the Insurance Award for Journalists at the annual event. Segun Bankole said that, enhancing media credibility through standard reporting will provide the required platform to engage the society and stimulate positive change in the insurance industry and any other sector for that matter. He conclusively enjoined other organizations to partner with DAME to provide a robust platform in encouraging increased creativity and strengthening media capacity through such exercises that can help accentuate the trust and confidence that the public repose in the media. While commenting, the Managing Director/CEO of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Mr. Wale Onaolapo, pointed out, that, there is a constant need to learn and improve in any profession. He further said that the importance of the role of the media in any society cannot be undermined in whatever measure; hence, the need to continuously improve on already acquired skills becomes very critical for the journalists if the media is to maintain the watchdog status in the society. He also said that the public will only get the best from the media when the reporting is of good standard premised on proper research and objectivity. He enjoined the participants of the one-day workshop to take advantage of the new insights they have been exposed to and let it reflect in their work in the years ahead. Finally, he mentioned that Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc will continue to support knowledge acquisition initiatives in promoting the advancement of the Nigerian Insurance industry.
