On Tuesday and Wednesday, stakeholders of the Nigerian media industry gathered at Pearlwort Hotel and Suite on Dosunmu Street, Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, to deliberate on the revised Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage organised by the International Press Centre (IPC).
The exercise was funded by the European Union under component 4b: Support to the media of the EU support to democratic governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) project.
The first ever Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage was launched on October 30, 2014, five months to the 2015 general elections.
This time around, the stakeholders were invited to deliberate on the report submitted by the consultants, Ms Victoria Ibanga and Mr. Edetaen Ojo, who were given the task to review the Code with a view to incorporating Enforcement mechanisms and hate speech components.
Hate speech was a major focus of the stakeholders.
In the build up to the 2015 general elections, both the traditional media and the social media were awash with hate speech. That problem has been clearly addressed in this code of election conduct.
In the last meeting which was held on March 7, 2018, the stakeholders admitted that Nigeria witnessed “irresponsible reporting” by some media houses ahead of the 2015 general elections. They believe that if that is to change, some measures have to be put in place as soon as possible ahead of 2019 elections.
The latest meeting, which commenced on Tuesday, May 22, and ended on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, was for brainstorming by some of the best brains in the industry to see that the code of conduct is properly revised.
The stakeholders of the media who were gathered endorsed the revised Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage after thorough deliberations.
The main aim is for media practitioners in the country to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Code, especially with the 2019 general elections in view.
The Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade made the opening remarks.
He said: “The meeting represents an important milestone in the quest to ensure the credibility and the integrity of the media in the coverage of elections; the underlying principle being that a credible media is in a stronger position to serve as catalysts of credible and acceptable elections.
“The importance of a code that guides the professional and ethical conduct of journalists covering elections cannot be overemphasized. The reason for this is not farfetched. It is simply because during election time, a journalist performs all the core functions of the media almost simultaneously including servicing the political system, providing information for citizens to make informed choices, holding government accountable, giving voice to the voiceless, monitoring campaigns and so on.”
Speaking with The Next Edition, Arogundade is of the view that IPC has impacted positively on journalism in Nigeria.
“I think we have impacted by capacity building that we have carried out in terms of doing specialised training and upgrade of knowledge for journalists. We have covered such areas as election reporting, investigative journalism, community journalism, accountability reporting, budget and corruption reporting and we have also impacted by a way of publication of media resource books.”
One of the major changes in the current Code is the social media aspect.
According to Arogundade, “In 2014, we did not have a strong position on social media. This time around there is a provision for it.”
One of the sections of the code states clearly that “A media organisation shall have an anti-hate speech reporting policy that clearly states among others, that the hate speech or inciting messages are not permitted on social media platforms.”
READ ALSO: Alleged PTF fraud: Obasanjo should have jailed Buhari – Fani-Kayode
Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, of Premium Times, while addressing the gathering, said: “Regulations should be put in place to check excess practices. Ultimately, three elements define the practice we call journalism. First of all, its claims must be truthful and accurate. Second, its discipline must be rooted in verification; and the practitioners must be independent and be accountable to their readers/viewers listeners. Verification defines journalism. If you lose faith in your readers what are you left with?”
Speaking further, he emphasised on the need for journalists to counter hate speech and fake news on social media due to its potential danger.
“We need a language to respond to misinformation and fakery. We must accept that while social media promotes inclusion and participatory citizenry through expanded access and information sharing, its capacity to be negative can be tremendous,” he said.
Chairman, Lagos Council, NUJ, Qasim Akinreti, was concerned about how to get journalists to comply with the code of election coverage.
He said, “Getting journalists to comply is critical. I suggest that we make this part and parcel of their electives in the university or schools of journalism.”
General Secretary, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Ms Ibanga, expressed gratitude for the initiative and hailed it as “the right step in the right direction.”
She was also concerned about getting it out to journalists.
She said, “We need to act on it. Writing the Code is one thing, making it work is another thing. In essence, creating awareness is important as well as implementation of the provisions of the Code.”
Mr. Oluwole Uzzi who represented the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, told The Next Edition: “We at INEC take this very seriously. We were involved in the first Code of Election Coverage in 2014 and we are also involved in this one. There is certainly more commitment to make it work this time around.
“We will help in disseminating it. When we get the copies we will ensure compliance of the code due to our bilateral relationship. Big thanks to IPC,” he said.
Some of the stakeholders in attendance were: General Secretary, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mrs. Victoria Ibanga; Director IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade; President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chairman, Lagos Council, NUJ, Dr. Qasim Akinreti; Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda, Mr. Edetaen Ojo; Publisher, Premium Times Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, and Director of Voters Education and Publicity of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Oluwole Osaze Uzzi.
