Media
By Benprince Ezeh
JOURNALISTS for Democratic Rights, JODER, with the support of the Institute of International Education, IIE, has urged media practitioners to renew their commitment to the promotion of peace and conflict prevention across the country.
A statement by JODER in Lagos said that it would strengthen the network for the isolation and discipline of reporters, who promote ethnic, religious and cultural profiling, which was identified as some of the major obstacles to sustainable livelihood.
Speaking at the training at a one-day training that was held in Lagos last week, which had the theme ‘Engaging the media and community based organisations towards conflict prevention and peace building with print, electronic and online media’ Qasim Akinreti the Lagos State Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, noted that journalists have the professional responsibility of educating the people on the right and reasonable cause of action instead of fuelling hate and primordial prejudices.
“The NUJ is in the process of registering professional journalists with the aim of eliminating quacks,” he said.
Dotun Oladipo, Chairman of the Nigerian Guild of Online Publishers, GOCOP, said the group was developing the framework for self-regulation in line with best practices across the world to ensure that practitioners use their medium to promote public good. “One solution is to ensure that online publishing is dominated by tested and credible journalists,” he said.
On his part, Babajide Kolade, Director of News, TV Continental Otitoju, stressed that journalists should go beyond press statements issued by government officials for them to be able to produce informed stories for the benefit of the people.
“Media practitioners should set agenda for peaceful resolution when reporting conflict,” Kolade said.
In the resolution, the practitioners promised to work towards the promotion of the utilitarian value of the people of Nigeria by promoting peaceful co-existence and sustainable livelihood.
“The newsrooms and media organisations through its network, will organize periodic training for its members on best practices towards crisis prevention in Nigeria. Journalists in the mainstream media and online platforms will henceforth ensure greater professionalism, which is in the interest of the media profession and the people of Nigeria.
“The practitioners urged the State and Federal authorities to ensure greater access to information through respect for the Freedom of Information Law,” it said.
According to the resolution, government and corporate institutions should see the media as partners and therefore provide necessary information that can help the people and the society at large, and such should be provided promptly too.
“In this respect participants frown at the recent attacks on citizen media by the Nigerian government, which has led to the arrest and detention of a couple of media practitioners,” they said.
The participants also called for the immediate release of all journalists currently being detained by the government or that they should be taken to the law court.
Omoyele Sowore, Publishers of Sahara Reporters, and Agba Jalingo of the Cross Rivers Watch are currently being held in detention by the state and Federal Governments.
The group also agreed to work together in ensuring the success of the National Working Group on Peace Building and Conflict Prevention set up by JODER with the support of the Institute of International Education and Ford Foundation, West Africa Regional Office.
– Sept. 23, 2019 @ 19:15 GMT |
Tags: Journalists renew commitment to promoting peaceful co-existence in Nigeria
