Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has called on media practitioners in the state to remain steadfast in their commitment to truth despite efforts by purveyors of misinformation to undermine the developmental strides of his administration.
The Governor who made this appeal on Saturday during the 2024 Abia Media Day celebration held in Umuahia, themed “Celebrating the Voice of Abia, Empowering the Future of the Media”, highlighted the critical agenda-setting role of the media, which the he said must be taken seriously.
Represented by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, Governor Otti lamented the challenges journalists often face and commended them for their sacrifices and support. He acknowledged the cordial relationship between his administration and media practitioners in the state and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to press freedom, fostering transparency and accountability in the state.
“We must look for a way to encourage people to engage in more research, writing good stories, engaging in more investigative journalism, and coming up with projects, well-designed projects that will sell the state very, very well. I want to assure you that by the time you celebrate here next year, we’ll have some of those awards in place.
“We will work closely with the organizers of today’s event to get that through. So that by next year, at least we’ll have about ten categories that we’ll be able to compensate those of you who have decided to put in all the effort in the work they are doing. That will be our own way of encouraging you,” Kanu stated.
Speaking at the event, Chief Ben Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, represented by Pastor Emma Eke, and Senator Austin Akobundu, representing Abia Central, represented by Mr. Uche Nwosu, acknowledged the significant role of the media in society. They urged practitioners to continue holding those in authority accountable for their actions.
Dr. Maduka Okoro, a political scientist and mass communicator, delivered the keynote speech, highlighting the challenges facing media practitioners. He emphasized the media’s vital role in promoting societal values, cultural heritage, and good governance and further charged journalists to adhere strictly to professional standards and ethics.
The Coordinator of the event and CEO of All Facts Newspaper, Mr. Emenike Iroegbu, stated that the event was designed to evaluate media practitioners’ efforts, focusing on feedback from the public regarding their reportage.
Speaking with The Whistler, Mr. Samuel Eze, a professional journalist, stressed the need for proper training for aspiring journalists.
“We are faced with what experts would call the floodgate of the fourth estate, the social media. Everybody who is carrying an Android phone today is a journalist. It’s not supposed to be.
“So we are looking forward to having our professional bodies like NUJ, Ratao, NIPR, and others reigning on non-professionals, come out with a more critical and strategic way of dealing with unprofessionalism in this job because many times we are being judged from the wrong spectrum.
“We are being judged by the bad and biased reports of people who are not trained about this job. It’s not just about your passion. Every profession in the world has its own code, and its own general rules. If you want to do this job, go and get trained. Go and get educated,” Eze emphasized.
Furthermore, Gift Nkemakolam, a 300-level Mass Communication student at Abia State University, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to witness such an event. She shared her key takeaway:
“One of the responsibilities of a journalist is fairness and accuracy. So, before you disseminate any information to the public, you need to first of all make sure that you are fair and accurate in your dissemination of information. That’s what I learned today.
“So as an upcoming journalist, before I post anything for the world to read, because I’m a writer, I’ll first of all do my research to be sure that what I’m posting is very, very true. That’s how I’ll implement what I’ve learned today,” Gift said.
The Whistler reports that the event also featured panel discussions and an award ceremony honoring some veterans journalists and Broadcasters including; the Chairman and CEO of Saturn Communication LTD owners of Magic FM Aba Chief Eziuche Ubani, Chief Frank Ikoro, Mrs Inyang Okorie among others.
While the ceremony attracted the presence of Practicing Journalists and Veterans across the State, it also brought together Students of Mass Communication department, in Abia state University, Uturu and Gregory University Uturu respectively.
Abia Media Day: Otti Urges Truthful Reportage, Professionalism In Journalism is first published on The Whistler Newspaper