NGO Task Journalists On Constructive Reportage, Shown Hate Speech

Journalists were recently tasked to shown hate speeches in their reportage aimed at enhancing
factual reporting that is adherence to the standard ethics of practice and professional journalism geared towards the promotion of peaceful co-existence and reduction of community tension in the Country.

This was the theme in a workshop organized for Journalists, by a Non Governmental Organization, (NGO), under the auspices of BEGE Foundation, Funded By Nexus Fund.

Addressing Journalists through various lectures who spoke at the workshop on the dangers of hate speeches, guest lecturers elucidated on pitfalls that could lead to hate speeches and ways to eliminate them.

However, in an interaction with newsmen, at the end of the two days forum, the Director, Bege Foundation, Mr. Chizoba Nnabugwu, admonished media practitioners to imbibe all that has been thought at the workshop, with the aim of reflecting them in future reportage as it will help to unit the country especially in the wake of its current economic downturn.

Consequently, at the end of the workshop, tagged “Capacity Building Training For
Media Practitioners On Constructive Reportage And Elimination Of Hate Speeches”, a communique was issued, suggesting that media practitioners must adhere to the recommended hypothesis that,
“there should be constant training and retraining of journalists in the country to keep them abreast with international best practices.

“A constant follow up on participants to ascertain how they are putting into use skills acquired and that welfare of media practitioners should be looked into and improve upon.

“Media practitioners should adhere to professional journalistic ethics and that Journalists who are involved in fabrication of news should desist from such practice and be encouraged to do more of
investigative journalism.

“Media owners and governments should allow reporters to operate freely without interference and that Media agencies should not entertain adverts, report or any
kind of information that are capable of generating tension or dividing members of the society across ethnic or religious lines”, amongst others