OSINBAJO, AMBODE TASK MEDIA TO ENSURE ADHERENCE TO PROFESSIONALISM
…Address Abuse Of New Media, VP Urges
…As NGE Holds 2019 Biennial Convention In Lagos
Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Lagos
State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Saturday urged the media to continue to
do everything within its powers to ensure that members adhere strictly to the
code of ethics to preserve the sanctity of the profession.
The duo spoke at the 2019 Biennial Convention of the
Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) held at the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, well
attended by members of the Guild from across the country.
In his goodwill message, Governor Ambode who was represented
by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan said
the media must continue to up the ante in its primary responsibility as the
watchdog of the society.
Noting that the theme of the convention, ‘Media Convergence
As Strategy For Survival’ was very apt, he said the State Government has drawn
ideas and policy formation as well as execution from the criticisms and
suggestions from the media.
“We have learnt from your informed commentaries, reflecting
deep concern about the need for solutions to problems that all of us worry
about uninterrupted electricity, efficient transportation, affordable housing
and the ease of doing business.
“What we have witnessed in Lagos state in the past four
years and particularly the commissioning of transformational projects in recent
times bear testimony to the fact that your criticisms and suggestions towards a
livable megacity have contributed to our policy formulation and execution,” he
said.
The Governor alluded to the fact that his administration
benefitted immensely from the coverage of landmark programmes and projects as
media monitoring records revealed over 80 percent reportage of the State
Government in the last four years was positive.
“I appeal that the guild continue to see the stables and the
titles as stakeholders whose social responsibility to actualise the vision of a
greater Lagos will be taken to the next level by my successor, Mr. Babajide
Sanwo-Olu, the incoming governor,” he said.
Governor Ambode also commended the Guild for the choice of
Lagos as the venue of its conference, saying that it was not just a vote of
confidence in his administration for building a safe and secure city, but also
an editorial comment on the freedom of the press as a fundamental pillar of the
democratic culture of Lagos State.
In his keynote address, Professor Osinbajo urged media
practitioners to be open to the reality that the new and digital media was
gradually taking over the traditional media.
The Vice President, however, said the greater worry was the
fact that the new media had been saturated with several mushroom platforms,
which do not regard the ethics of the profession in disseminating information.
“Editors must now take over the online media as seriously as
they did to the traditional media and that move has to be unprecedented. What
we see today is that instant reporting is making a mince meat of the virtues of
cross checking facts before publishing.
“Since the role of editors is quality control and gate
keeping, of the things they must do is to manage the new media and place some
form of control. Some people must take the lead to speak up against the
bastardization of the new media as it is gradually relegating investigative
journalism,” Osinbajo said.
He also urged the media to invest in technology and continue
to strive to ensure that they maintain their code of ethics, saying that
failure to do this will be detrimental to the profession.
“I urge you to continue to abide by the journalism code of
ethics of honesty, independence, accuracy, balance and public accountability.
The time has come for editors to ensure that the thread of journalists of
repute does not become a thing of the past.
The Vice President and Governor Ambode were later presented
with commendation plagues by the Guild for their support and commitment to the
media profession, while elections were conducted to elect new officers of the
Guild.
Sahara Weekly
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