COVID -19 Kano to provide palliatives for media houses, journalists
Kano state Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, has affirmed that considering the critical role journalists play in times of disaster, the state government would provide some palliatives for journalists in the state in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Garba dropped the hint on Monday during a one-day workshop entitled: “COVID-19: How prepared is the media in handling disasters?” organized by the Kano state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
According to him, the state government is very much aware of the challenges journalists face in critical and disastrous times such the the COVID-19 pandemic, promising that the state government will do its best to guarantee the safety of journalists during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that “there is need for government to see how it can support the media in this time of COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever support that is going to be given to other sectors, the media will surely be considered.
“We will work together with the media and see how we can overcome this pandemic which has caused serious harm to the entire world.”
He argued that if per chance there is a total shutdown as it is being experienced in Lagos, Ogun, Abuja and Kaduna states, residents would depend on no other people, but journalists to be informed on the latest about the dreaded coronavirus.
The information commissioner admonished journalists to live above board and remain responsible while disseminating information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing out that there is the need for journalists to be guided by their code and ethics at all times.
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Director General, Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), Hajia Sa’a Ibrahim noted that journalists need support from both the federal and state governments at this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hajiya Ibrahim, who is also the managing director of Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV) in Kano, urged journalists to be conscious of their safety while reporting disaster situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his presentation titled: “Media perspective in handling COVID-19,” the Managing Director of Vision FM, Malam Adamu Ladan, urged managers of media organizations to draw budgets that can cover the interest and welfare of journalists during disaster situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
