LAGOS – Nigerian Media has been scored below average in the just concluded 2015 General elections on professionalism, particularly as it regards advertorials and the publishing of hate speeches.
In a communiqué issued at the end of one-day seminar on the assessment of media coverage of 2015 general elections organized by the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) in Lagos, Tuesday the participants in consensus that media did not exhibit enough level of professionalism in its handling of the last elections.
It therefore suggested that a larger forum comprising NUJ, NPC, NBC, NGE, NPAN, BON, APCON and other relevant bodies be organized to carry out a wider post mortem on the performance of the media and look holistically at the issue of professionalism and examine ways of plugging the identified loopholes with particular emphasis on the observed significant area of noncompliance within the next six months.
The communiqué which was signed by the Executive Secretary, NPC, Nnamdi Njamanze, Chairman, Lagos State NUJ chapter, Deji Elumoye and Dr Tom Adaba, the Chairman of the workshop recommended that media professionals should make training and re-training a continuous process as this will enhance their professionalism and performance.
Media professionals are also advised to train themselves on how to do collective bargaining with their employers with a view to improving negotiation on their welfare dues and should be encouraged to establish a close link with leadership at all levels
The seminar which was attended by 40 senior journalists from different media organizations recommended that the NUJ should organize an unbiased debate at all level for all political candidates in future elections.
It also said that the establishment of the National and State Monitoring Network on Safety of Journalists, the first of its kind in Africa which led to a drastic reduction in cases of brutalization of journalists should be sustained.
While commending the NPC and other supporting groups for putting together the seminar, the gathering added that media proprietors should be encouraged to key into the insurance scheme already put in place by the NUJ for practicing journalists.
