Rivers
NGO Charges Journalists To Stand For People’s Rights
Journalists in Nigeria have been urged to always stand for the rights of the people in their day-to-day activities.
The Executive Director, Media Career Development Network, Lekan Otufodurin, gave the charge during a public show of a film on Joseph Pulitzer, to mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day in Port Harcourt, recently.
Speaking to The Tide shortly after the programme, Otufodunri urged journalists to always discharge their duties professionally by giving voice to the people.
He emphasized the need for a free press in the country as well as the need for journalists to create the needed balance between government and the people in the society.
He cited the roles played by Joseph Pulitzer in the video watched by over 100 participants, saying he stood for the people till his death.
“One of the most prestigious award in journalism was named after Joseph Pulitzer and we can see from the video we watched that it is possible that we have publishers, who can stand for the rights of the people, who find a balance between professionalism and business.
“This is just a reminder that we need to do our job properly, we need to show that there is freedom of expression, we ask for our rights, do journalism professionally, so that we can hold government accountable to the people.
That is how we can be the voice of the people and not only the voice of government”, Otufodurin said.
One of the panelists and Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, Stanley Job Stanley, highlighted the importance of the film, saying it is a reminder on how to practise journalism in the country.
“I think the video we watched will benefit a lot of us. As we can see from the video where freedom was given to the press even as far back as 1817, so we have a lot to learn from the American system. Joseph Pulitzer was allowed to practise journalism freely without the interference of anyone”, he said.
He urged Nigerian journalists never to be deterred nor discouraged despite threats, challenges and pains that confront them in the cause of discharging their professional duties to the society, adding that if they want positive changes in the country, they must keep on pushing till the change comes.
By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
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