General News
THE U.S. Consulate in Nigeria has tasked media practitioners in Bayelsa to ensure that the government is accountable to the electorates in order to deepen democratic ideals.
Mr Stephen Ibelli, Public Affairs Officer U.S. Consulate Lagos made the call while speaking at a post-election capacity building workshop for Bayelsa-based media practitioners in Yenagoa on Monday.
He noted that the media being the fourth pillar in democracy had the critical role of enlightening the electorates and equipping them with the information to make the right judgment.
Ibelli explained that the media contributed to accountability and transparency by independent unbiased reportage of government activities in relation to the pledges made by political office holders before elections.
He, however, said that the media has performed fairly well in promoting and defending democracy in Nigeria amidst numerous challenges in the operating environment.
“I have seen how media contributed to accountability and transparency in Nigeria. You played a major role in engendering good governance and this is not what can be done easily.
“Beyond informing the people, you should give citizens a voice and tools they need to continue to engage the government for the sustainable and lasting change they desire.
“In America, the media is referred to as the fourth pillar of democracy. I must commend you for playing that role by protecting democracy because it cannot live in the dark.
“So this training is not only aimed at improving your reporting skills but to encourage you to report the local community in their states.
“You are playing a major role in engendering good governance and this is not what can be easily overlooked.
“Beyond information gathering, you should give citizens a voice or tools they need to engage the government for sustainable and lasting change. Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. You protect democracy,”Ibelli said
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was aimed at honing the skills of journalists in Bayelsa to enable them to report the local communities in the state.
The journalists, who were drawn from Yenagoa based correspondents of different media houses across the country, were trained on current trends in ‘Media and Democratic Accountability’, ‘Reporting Conflicts, Journalism and Ethics and Professional Development’.
In his presentation, Professor Lai Oso of the School of Communication Lagos State University noted that the wide reach of the mass media makes it imperative for the government to be alive to its responsibilities.
Oso maintained that the mass media has a daunting challenge in disclosing what the government wants to be kept away from public glare.
He explained that news was the number one product of journalism adding that the media has been singled out to monitor governance to ensure accountability.
“The major responsibility of the media is to hold the government accountable. And to achieve this, journalists must engage in investigative journalism that brings attention to wrongdoing,”Oso said. (NAN)
– Mar. 8, 2021 @ 18:15 GMT |
Tags: US Consulate tasks Bayelsa Journalists to hold Govt accountable to the people
