PUNCH journalist, Adetutu Sobowale has emerged winner of the inaugural Reporter Slam Nigeria, using her personal experience to highlight the difficulties journalists encounter while covering breaking news in the digital age.
Sobowale clinched the title at the competition held at Alliance Française, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, beating other contestants in the storytelling event.
The competition, themed “Journalism and the Nigerian Story”, was organised in collaboration with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Nigeria and attracted media executives, journalists, broadcasters, journalism educators and campus journalists.
Her presentation drew on an experience involving a sensitive development concerning Nigeria’s relations with the United Arab Emirates, which she reported after it was announced by a spokesperson for a high-ranking elected government official.
According to Sobowale, the information was subsequently deleted from the spokesperson’s post, while a government aide later described the report as fake news.
The incident left her embarrassed and concerned about the professional implications of reporting information that was later disputed.
Speaking after her victory, Sobowale explained how the experience affected her despite her background in fact-checking.
“Actually, that story traumatised me. You know why? I am a fact-checker, I wrote a story, a breaking news and it was a big story, then all of a sudden it was tagged fake,” she said.
The journalist said winning the contest was both exciting and unexpected, particularly because she was more accustomed to communicating through written reports than speaking before an audience.
“I’m confused at the same time, excited, because I was not expecting this. I’ve never spoken like this before. I am always typing, writing, but now I have to talk to the crowd, and there are people to judge me,” she said.
She added that the recognition had encouraged her to share more personal experiences about journalism, noting that her story could resonate with other professionals facing similar challenges.
“It means a lot. Now I know that I can go out there to tell my story and it will resonate with people because I know a lot of people are also going through that,” she said.
Sobowale also urged journalists to look beyond their published stories and headlines by sharing the experiences and challenges that shape their work.
“Let people know that you have a story behind that byline, behind the headline.There is a lot more to writing a story. So we need to come out and tell people our story so that they will see the value in what we do,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to her organisation for supporting her professional growth, saying, “PUNCH made me. I thank PUNCH.”
Sobowale secured the overall victory with a combined score of 119.90, comprising an average jury score of 56.00 per cent and an online audience vote of 63.90 per cent, earning her the distinction of being the competition’s first Slampion.
Melody Dauda, an on-air personality with Albarka Radio in Bauchi, finished as the first runner-up with 63.66 per cent, while Tina Abeku of The Guardian in Abuja came third with 61.80 per cent.
The competition convener, Melony Ishola, who is the Head of Programmes at PUNCH Videos, said the initiative was designed to help rebuild public confidence in the media by giving audiences a better understanding of the work behind news reports.
She stressed the importance of storytelling in modern journalism, noting that practitioners needed to develop the skill to connect with audiences and sustain their interest in an increasingly digital media environment.
“One of the greatest takeaways from having the jury review each presentation was to make clear to us, especially practitioners in journalism, that reporting and storytelling are not the same thing.
“If we must move our audience in this era, then we must indeed understand what storytelling is and be able to use it effectively to generate impact, to secure lasting audience retention,” she said.
Ishola further noted that allowing journalists to share the experiences behind their published work could help address public distrust and improve understanding of the profession.
The Resident Representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Nigeria, Moritz Sprenker, also underscored the importance of the initiative in strengthening journalism and improving practitioners’ storytelling abilities.
He reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to supporting professional development and innovative approaches to journalism.
The jury for the 2026 competition comprised Professor Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Director of the Institute of Continuing Education at the University of Lagos; veteran broadcaster, journalist and author Bimbo Oloyede; Dapo Olorunyomi, founder of Premium Times and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development; David Ajokobi, Nigeria editor at Africa Check; and retired broadcaster Lawal Mohammed.
Other attendees included former General Manager of Human Capital and Corporate Services at PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Folake Gbemutor; Head of PUNCH Digital Advertising, Mary Stanley-Ubani; members of the University of Lagos Press Club; and other media professionals.
Sobowale is expected to represent Nigeria at Reporter Slam Africa, where she will present her story to a wider audience.
