By Danlami Nmodu
The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James F. Entwistle has urged Nigerian journalists to do their work properly in order to shape the outcome well.
“Your work carries a tremendous amount of responsibility ,and the shape and outcome of the electoral process depend in very great measure on the good work you do.”
Entwistle made this assertion in his video address to participants at the beginning on Monday of a Journalism Training Workshop holding in Kaduna
“In any country,covering an election is a great professional challenge for reporters.Journalists are expected to become experts who report on election rules-from how those rules govern the preparation of voter rolls to the tallying of final vote counts.
“Journalists in democracies have the vital task of reporting on the issues that voters want politicians to address-and helping to hold the elected officials accountable for their campaign promises.
“Your readers ,viewers, listeners ,and social media followers are counting on you to portray accurately and fairly the positions of candidates and parties and explain clearly the details of policy issues so as voters ,they can go to the ballot box with accurate information to inform their choices”
Speaking further,Entwistle said “Good journalism,therefore,is fundamental to an election process that protests the rights of Nigerians to use the ballot box to reflect the views and concerns of their communities-a process that helps produce a stable,democratic government,regardless of which candidate wins
“Professional media are among the most powerful tools to support a free,credible ,inclusive ,and peaceful electoral process in which democratic principles are adhered to by all parties,candidates and institutions,”he said.
Pix :Prof Gary Kebbel
The US Embassy Abuja and NUJ National Secretariat are partners on the workshop attended by fifty journalists.The workshop has the theme:Community Reporting for Building of Democratic Values in the Run-up to 2015 General Elections”.US Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication,University of Nebraska, Gary Kebbel is the speaker.
Speaking during the opening ceremony too, Mallam Mohammed Garba,national president of Nigerian Union of Journalists said”clearly,while we have contributed to the process of democratic sustainability in Nigeria in the past 15 years,we are also interested in its future.Therefore ,the 2015 general election is important to all journalists especially because it will further stabilize our democracy and strengthen the democratic skills in Nigerians.”
“The NUJ is therefore committed to improving the ethical standard of news reportage during elections .We are keen in ensuring that Nigerian Journalists undertake their professional duties within the ambit of the Electoral Law and other regulations .Professionally, we desire to improve the news judgment of the journalist as it affects elections and election related issues”.
Shuaibu Usman Leman ,national secretary of NUJ and Mr Ishaka Aliyu a media consultant also addressed the gathering .Leman lamented the negative influence of media owners on the work of journalists.Either consciously or otherwise, journalists are losing grip of their role about setting the agenda ,he noted .
Aliyu also reiterated the difficult situation journalists find themselves .He equally highlighted the conflict between journalists and media owners.He noted however that privatization of media ownership has helped break existing monopoly in the country.Aliyu emphasized the need for journalists to always take the time to cross check and verify stories before going public with them.
