Ojimaojo Yunus Abuja
In the countdown to Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections, stakeholders at a 2-day capacity building workshop for Journalists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the South-South zone of Nigeria on Tuesday
charged journalists to focus more on issue-based reportage and avoid sensationalism, even as they commended journalists for their coverage of the electoral processes so far.
Stakeholders who made call in a communique issued at the end of the training called on the media to remain apolitical irrespective of pressures from politicians
The communique reads in part: “Participants commended the media for its coverage of the electoral process so far, but however recommended that the media should focus more on issue-based reportage and avoid sensationalism.
“On challenges of lack of professionalism by some journalists, social media influencers and bloggers, stakeholders recommended the strengthening of the media code of ethics and ensure that erring members are sanctioned in line with relevant of statutory laws.
“Stakeholders on the challenges of fake news, misinformation/disinformation, recommended that journalists fact-check their stories before publication”.
On the issues of media content with inflammatory words that could serve as conflict drivers, it was recommended that journalists be trained on conflict analysis/mapping to be more sensitive to the conflict drivers in the society in electoral reportage.
“It was also recommended that media content should be devoid of conflict languages/words such as massacre, IPOB President, Fulani Herdsmen, horror, hopeless, etc., while the media should also strive not to objectify women.
They further urged media practitioners to promote inclusion of marginalized groups in the electoral process and emphasized the need for political reportage to be fact based, fair and devoid of emotion.
Participants , therefore urged CSOs to increase their engagement/sensitization of the electorate through voter education, sensitisation, information and civic education.
