By Isaac Aregbesola
Abuja, Feb. 4, 2019 (NAN) A training workshop on “Conflict-Sensitive Reportage” has advised journalists and media practitioners in the country to be factual, balanced, accurate and conflict-sensitive in reporting the 2019 general elections and other issues.
This is contained in the communiqué at the end of the training in Jos issued on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was attended by no fewer than 160 journalists and media practitioners from six states, including Benue, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara, Plateau and FCT.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Norwegian Foreign Affairs Ministry which assisted in facilitating the workshop harped on the need for objectivity.
The communiqué explained that the workshop was aimed at ensuring credible polls for promoting peace and sustainable development in Nigeria.
The participants urged that headlines should tone down emotions and be less sensational and highlight issues that promote national development, cohesion and peaceful co-existence in the country.
They called on journalists and media practitioners not to compromise integrity by being induced with money and other material things to influence election results.
“Journalists at all times especially during the 2019 elections should uphold the ethics of their profession.
“Journalists should be their brothers’ keeper and be security conscious as it takes a living journalist to report events,” it stated.
The participants urged the media not to involve themselves in issues that could affect the results of elections negatively, such as fake news and hate speech.
They noted that hate speech and fake news had intensified with negative impact on the nation’s political landscape especially, on the upcoming general elections.
They also noted that thuggery had continued to escalate and assume dangerous proportions in our elections due to poverty and ignorance.
They also noted that many internally displaced persons (IDPs) might be disenfranchised due to the conditions they found themselves unless something was done to assist them exercise their rights.
The participants also advised politicians and security agents to provide the enabling environment for journalists to do their job, especially during the general elections. (NAN)
