WARRI – The first female Nigerian Professor of Mass Communication and Dean Faculty of Social Sciences , Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka State , Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna, has charged media practitioners to use their agenda setting role to avoid dwelling on issues that are capable of heating up the polity in their reportage as Nigerians prepare for the general elections in 2019 and beyond.
She said this while delivering a paper on “Conflict Sensitivity and Avoiding Hate Speech As Major Imperative In Reporting , Ahead of 2019 ” , at a media workshop organised by the International Press Centre(IPC), Lagos under the Component 4b of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria ( EU-SDGN) Project held at BON Hotel Sunshine, Enugu, Enugu State.
The University Don said, “given the active disagreement between politicians and their opposing opinions and principles, it becomes obvious that elections in particular and politics generally will continue to be fertile grounds for conflicts.
“The world over, the media are often indicted for their negativism because of their penchant to attach high news value to negative happenings, and to actively seek out and report negative events.
“This scenario is true, even in developing countries where deliberate efforts are expected to be made to promote development journalism to effect the development so desperately needed by these countries in every aspect of life.
While admonishing media practitioners to promote peace in their reportage, the University Don said ” by giving so much attention to conflicts, the media are strategically positioned to play a role that can either escalate conflicts or promote peace as peace media systems.
She described the peace media system as one that successfully minimizes conflict (or outright violence) and is able to promote peaceful behaviours in the society.
On hate speech, she said, one way of escalating conflict in reporting the electoral process is through hate speech. Conversely, avoiding hate speech through conflict-sensitive reporting is a fundamental tenet of a peace media system that is operating towards peacefulness in the society.
She opined that, the Agenda-Setting Theory is relevant in determining whether the media can promote or prevent violence and hate speech, depending on the issues the media place on the media agenda.
She cautioned members of the pen profession against the recklessly lavishing media attention , conferring status and legitimacy on persons and issues.
According to the former Anambra State Information Commissioner , Framing Theory is very relevant to hate speech and conflict reduction in election reporting because the media can ‘frame’ persons and issues in ways that could be understood as hate speech-oriented and lacking in conflict sensitivity.
Earlier, Lanre Arogundade, Director , International Press Centre, Lagos , who was represented by Stellla Nwofia, Programmes Director, IPC, while welcoming participants to the workshop, said, ” The aim of the workshop was to bring to the front burners the prerequisite to hone the skills of journalists in the professional and ethical reportage of democratic processes and elections as well as committing professional ,conflict sensitive, citizen focused, gender focused and digital reporting of the 2019 elections.
Other facilitators at the workshop, included ace journalist Funke -Treasure Durodola , Assistant Director (Programmes) Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Lagos and Abuja based public affairs and political analyst, Jide Ojo.
The two-day workshop had 40 journalists from the South South and South East geopolitical zones in attendance.
