Control TV Tasks Media on Unblemished Professional Reporting
Gilbert Ekugbe
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Control TV, Mr. Gimba Umar, has tasked the Nigerian media on the delivery of unblemished professional reporting of the 2023 general elections.
Umar, at the inaugural press briefing by Control TV and Radio themed, “Leveraging on the ethics of reporting ahead of the 2023 general elections,” urged the media to resist the ultimate temptation of being cowed into tilting towards one party, maintaining that Nigerians must not be denied the right to know the truth.
“We must act with the mind-set of the huge and enormous task we have signed up for. The onus now lies on us to ensure that professionalism is displayed and exemplified in our reporting of the 2023 general elections, for it is this period that the true test of media shall come to bear,” he urged.
According to him, the media is one of the sectors that stand a chance to be celebrated or criticised at the end of the day, advising the media to adhere strictly to the broadcasting ethics.
“The broadcasting ethics are not new to us when it comes to reports in our respective organisations with their in-house styles. To serve a refresher which goes over and above any in-house style are the five Ws and H that stands as a guide for the delivery of unblemished professional reporting,” he said.
In his words: “ Once a reporter is able to accomplish the five Ws and H then he or she would have not only informed Nigerians accurately, but also prevented what may have been a situation tending towards chaos. I believe we are aware of the devastating effects of fake news, no wonder masses always fall back on the reputable ones as the platforms for truth.”
He pointed out that the common denominator of codes is a professed loyalty to truth and accuracy and a concern for fairness and good taste, saying that the media performs a watch dog role for citizens by scrutinising and reporting on the recital concentration of power of which the government is the most important player.
“As news men, we must see and report what we see away from what is fast becoming a copycat situation where one media house or reporter picks up a story from the web and copies word for word the same report and publishes it. We must thrive to be original, factual and well researched to deliver our stories accurately. For instance, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) must be given equal media reportage a given to the candidate of other political parties. “This is a critical back end influence of the outcomes of election which the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) frowns at. Sadly, it has become increasingly difficult to divorce some media organisations taking sides to political parties. This is perhaps the biggest bane and disservice to the Nigerian people. Skewed reports are no longer in fashion globally and the Nigerian press must not be left behind,” he said.
