PRIORITIZE NATIONAL UNITY, NPC CHARGES JOURNALISTS

 

...Trains Journalists in Southwest

The Nigerian Press Council (NPC) has charged journalists across the country to prioritize the unity of Nigeria in the course of their reportage.

Speaking in Abeokuta at a 2-day workshop for journalists drawn from States in the Southwest, Nigeria, the Executive Secretary of the Council, Francis Nwosu said the workshop became necessary as the 2023 general elections draw closer.

The workshop which focuses on Effective Coverage and Reportage of 2023 General Elections was organised by the Nigerian Press Council.

Nwosu who noted that the Council has been conducting such workshops to educate journalists ahead of the polls urged press men to be impartial reporters.

The Executive Secretary stressed that national interests should always be prioritized while also bearing in mind the code of ethics of the media profession.

He assured that the Council would continue to protect the practice of journalism. 

In his remarks, the former  president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ)  and Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Waheed Odusile re-emphasized the need for journalists to mind their choice of words in news reportage; adding that the way journalists report would determine how Nigerians would see the election.

Odusile said journalists must behave as patriots and must not write anything that is capable of inciting or could cause crisis.

"Mind what you write. Don't write Nigeria out if existence. Be objective but ensure national interest comes first. We should behave as patriots. If you put Nigeria first, you will think twice before you escalate a small issue. We must make national unity our watchword", he said.

Lectures given at the workshop include The Imperatives of Journalism Ethics in the coverage of 2023 General Elections, Reporting Elections Results and Resolution of Election Disputes, Objective Reporting: A Requisite for Successful 2023 Elections, and 2023 Elections: Role of the Media in Voter's Education.