2019 ELECTIONS: AMBODE CHARGES MEDIA ON PROFESSIONALISM, OBJECTIVITY IN REPORTING
As the 2019 general elections draw nearer, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has called on media practitioners across the country to demonstrate professionalism by being objective and fair to all parties while reporting political processes.
Governor Ambode, who gave the advice in Lagos today while declaring open the 69th General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) held in Lagos, noted that the constitutional roles of the media placed enormous responsibility of fairness and objectivity in all matters, stating that it is important that media practitioners must always live up to the ethics and practice of the profession so as to justify the confidence reposed in them by the society.
Ambode, represented at the event by his Deputy, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, noted that with the 2019 general elections around the corner, the media have a crucial role to play in ensuring stability and peaceful conduct of the elections by giving adequate information to the electorate.
He urged the media to always verify their facts while giving an objective analysis of issues in a way that would be fair and unbiased to all parties.
“The media, as the mediators between the people and the political parties and among political parties and the umpire, cannot afford to fail Nigerians; the media should create numerous platforms for the dissemination of knowledge because only an informed citizenry can make informed choices”, Ambode stated
While stressing the need for the media to avoid partisanship in their report of the political process, the Governor reminded them of the sensitive nature of their profession and urged them to always balance their accounts of any report with facts rather than sensationalism.
He said: “The role of the media in the stability and peaceful conduct of the next elections is critical. I urge you to avoid partisanship and all broadcast which could threaten the peace, unity, stability and progress of our nation. In spite of the advertising funds that will be thrown at you, balance your accounts with ethics, base your stories on facts and let all reports reflect fairness and truth, avoid any act capable of threatening the peace, unity and progress of the nation”.
The Governor noted that the media has a crucial role to play in sensitization and education of the electorate on the importance of collecting their Permanent Voters Cards to perform their civic responsibility on the day of elections.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Mr. John Momoh stated that the organisation is progressing steadily and contributing to building a virile society through adequate and accurate reportage of events.
Momoh urged broadcasters to strive towards being a medium of moderation by relaying information with decorum, from a logical perspective and through dispassionate news reporting.
He stressed the importance of greater transparency and accountability in the current climate of misinformation, political lies and widespread distrust.
“As broadcasters, we could do more to support media literacy among the public by explaining the complex world we now live in, as well as better explain how we report it and arrive at our own news judgement”
In his own remarks, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, stated that the media is not only the cornerstone of democracy but also play an indispensable role in the proper functioning of any democratic system.
While giving assurance that the 2019 elections will be free, fair, credible and peaceful, he urged the media to ensure adequate information dissemination and public enlightenment through the provision of platforms for electoral campaigns, public debates and voter education in order to ensure free and fair elections.
“Without the media, safeguarding the credibility and transparency of the election will be a very herculean task” he stated.