By Ijeoma Obioma
A don, Prof. Andrew Ijwo, has urged journalists in Nigeria to remain apolitical by adhering to the ethics of the profession in their electioneering reportage.
Ijwo gave the advice in his paper presentation at a one-day conference/meeting organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),Zone D in Makurdi with the theme, ‘The role of the Media in enhancing peaceful election and democratic participation.”
He said that just as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to be an impartial umpire in the electoral process, the mass media too are expected to remain apolitical and impartial in their newsgathering and dissemination tasks.
The guest speaker added that the media should be pluralist and reflect the diversities of their societies while giving access to various points of views and to right of reply,just as he emphasised that journalists should avoid whatever might lead to crime, civil disorder, and violence or give offence to ethnic and religious minorities.
Earlier, the Vice President of NUJ Zone D, Kris Atsaka, said the onus lied on the media as the fourth estate of the realm to not only report news factually, accurately, truthfully with responsibility but also set the agenda to shape the polity on one hand and general well being of the society for peaceful coexistence on the other hand.
Atsaka, therefore, enjoined the participants to take the lecture seriously in order to enhance their capacity in election coverage.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
