Media
By Anthony Isibor
MEDIA experts have urged journalists to ensure that their reports promote peace and succor rather than inflaming the polity.
The experts made the appeal at the 2023 Press Week of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, on Wednesday in Lagos which has the theme “Post Election Nigeria: Paths to National Restoration and peace.”
Adeleye Ajayi, chairman, NUJ Lagos Council, said in his opening remarks that efforts should be made to address the gaps of the 2023 general elections so as to ensure that the country returns to the path of peace, adding that perpetrators of electoral violence must be arrested and prosecuted.
“For peace to reign there must be justice,” he said.
Other speakers at the event included Prof. Sunday Alawode, Dean, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Lagos State University, LASU, Martins Oloja, Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Maureen Chigbo, Publisher of Realnews/President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, GOCOP, Peter Dada, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN and Sina Odunuga, Director, Public Affairs Office, Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.
While Peter Dada canvassed sacrifice and service and called on those aspiring to join the profession to give their best at all times, Chigbo explained to some of the students, who attended the event that although it was important to be objective in reporting, it was also necessary to ensure that the way and manner “we report teach and inform did not inflame the polity”.
According to her, this will determine how the people will recover from the disruptions caused by the 2023 elections.
She urged journalists to ensure that they live up to the tenants of the profession by making sure that only verified truths are reported and by using only the language that is capable of healing and report for the voiceless and the less privileged people in the society.
However, Sina Odunuga, in his submission called for leaders in the profession to wake up to the realities of the times and ensure that journalist are properly remunerated and secured.
For him, it will be very difficult to expect any journalist to live up to the tenants of the profession when their welfare is not protected.
Oloja also bemoaned the lack of funding among media houses in Nigeria and called on professionals to look into the political economy and funding model of the media because the journalism practice in the past is not the same as today.
“Journalism is business and not for social service any more. There is a need to investigate the political economy of press freedom. Newsprint is not manufactured in Nigeria, but imported from Sweden and the cost has gone up. Many journalists have not been paid this year, some were not paid last year,” he said.
Similarly, the guest speaker, Prof. Alawode called for a new approach towards the study of communications in tertiary institutions to allow students to streamline their choice of study from the first day of study.
He explained that journalists must let politicians realize that election is not war and should be conducted peacefully and called on them to contribute to the growth, development and continuity of the country as much as possible by practicing ‘Conflict Sensitive Journalism’.
The event also provided students from Lagos State University, Crowford University, Laspotech the opportunity as journalism undergraduates to learn directly from seasoned media practitioners on the practicalities, tenants and realities of the profession.
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-Aug. 24 2023 @ 16:48 GMT |
Tags: LASU Martins Oloja Maureen Chigbo NUJ Prof. Sunday Alawode Sina Odunuga
