A media expert, Mr Wale Fatade, has advised Nigerian Journalists to play effective roles in the survival of the nation's democracy, describing them as critical and strategic to the attainment of needed electoral reform .
Fatade stressed the need for Journalists to be professional enough and desist from writing stories that may creat tension before, during and after the conduct of the June 18th, and July 16th 2022 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun respectively.
The Veteran Journalist spoke in Osogbo during a 3-day training organised for Journalists in Ekiti and Osun States ahead of the conduct of the forthcoming elections in the two States.
Fatade specifically admonished journalists to be more professional and careful in the discharge of their duties and avoid writing stories that will inflame the environment through their reportage.
The programme organised by the Media Support Center (MSC) aimed at training Journalists in the two States ahead of the exercise.
"Journalists are very critical to the reformation of our electoral system because of the roles they play. That is why they have to be wary of politicians who may want to induce them with money on the day of election to pervert fairness and justice .
"Your reports must be one that will promote unity and cohesion. Your reports must be one that will promote the good values in our elections and expose the evils being perpetrated by some politicians, so that we can have elections that are credible"
Also speaking during the training, an Editor and Investigative Journalist, Mr. Mikhail Mumuni, urged Media Practitioners to always conduct thorough investigations into their information before publishing, so that they won't heat up the polity or mislead the public.
According to him, “Journalists are part of the society, if anything untoward happens to the society, it will also affect journalists and journalism as well. Our job is to stick to all the issues beyond the personalities involved.
“The issue of credible reportage of election is very crucial. Our role in reporting elections is very crucial, because we exist as the medium or vehicle to tell people, readers, viewers, and listeners what exactly is happening in the election period.
"You must ensure that all sides are reflected for the public to ascertain from our reports whether the integrity of the entire electoral process has been compromised at any level or not.
Similarly, in his remarks, an Editor Mr. Martins Alamu, urged media practitioners to desist from any activity that may bring the good image of the profession into disrepute and work in alignment with the ethics of the profession.
Lamenting over what he called poor remunerations among journalists in the country, the Editor stressed the need for media owners to redouble their efforts in making more provisions for monthly salary of journalists and other benefits and allowances for them.
Equally, a Communication Expert, Shakirudeen Bankole, who spoke on ‘Leveraging on Social and Citizen Engagement’ urged the journalists to make use of the opportunities on social media, which can aid their reports in getting to billions of the people across the world.
He also enjoined them to be mindful of reports capable of igniting tension through social media.
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