Journalists Want Adequate Logistics To Cover Elections

To ensure balance report
ing during the forth-coming elections, Nigerian media owners have been urged to provide adequate logistics for their journalists covering the February 2015 elections to enhance their movements and guarantee impartial reporting during the poll.
These were part of the recommendations issued as communiqué after a two day workshop on Effective Coverage And Reportage of 2015 General Elections organised by the Nigerian Press Council with the support of the Democratic Governance for Development Project 11 of United Nations Development Programme.
The communiqué observed that journalists are often harassed, humiliated, arrested and killed while covering political activities, reminding security agencies in the country that journalists are critical stakeholders in the electoral process and should be protected as partners in progress.
It also advised media owners to avoid self-censorship and accord open door policy to all existing political parties, urging media platforms to work together for the protection and defence of the rights of media professionals in the discharge of their lawful duties.
While commending the Nigerian Press Council, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other development agencies for their roles in the training of journalists as stakeholders in the electoral processes in Nigeria, the communiqué called for similar gestures from other development partners, adding that this would ensure the media remain impartial and factual at all times in the electoral processes.
It also recommended that the media as professionals should ensure factual, accurate and objective reporting at all times, stressing that there is need for enhanced voter education to reduce apathy and promote constructive voter engagement in the electoral process.
The communiqué signed by the Chairman of the workshop, George Izobo, The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Edo State, Desmond Agbama, and Patrick Agbekaka of the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), observed that there are hindrance to objective journalism practice due to inadequate access to relevant information and undue ownership influences.
The workshop was declared open by the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientattion, Hon Loius Odien who said the workshop was very apt considering the current political democratic dispensation in the country.
The workshop had in attendance 65 participants consisting of journalists drawn from both print and broadcast media organisations in the south south states of the country.