Media Practitioners have again be asked to be key players in solving Political issues, with practitioners urged to avoid amplification of raging interest of groups, self appointed individuals struggling for hegemony and control.
Baba Haliru Dantiye, former President Nigerian Guild of Editors made the disclosure at a Presentation: ” Preserving Cohesive Reportage for National Unity and Integration in the Midst of Security Challenges”, at a two day Community initiative to promote peace conflict-sensitive reporting workshop for media practitioners holding at Pearlwort Hotel, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos State.
The former NGE President urged the media practitioners to remain responsive to the common man towards having a cohesive country.
He charged the Media to be a tool of Unity, integration and cohesion, said it is not a must that news items must be unusual, strange and capable of attracting negative attention.
The speaker urged Journalists to be that variants, deliberate and passionate about peaceful and Cohesive society.
While urging the media not to be bystanders and see Reporting of Conflict as a profession, called on them to serve factors in unifying Institutions, Communities, individuals for socio-economic development.
He tasked the media to speak with cohesion, social stability, lamented the ownership capturing syndrome as the media’s major problem
The “Conflict-Sensitive Reporting Workshop for Media Practitioners” is an outcome of the previous National Quarterly Policy Desk Review activity conducted by Savannah Centre with support from Mercy Corps, is a “once in a quarter” activity aimed at creating awareness and analyzing evidence-based assessment on the relevant existing States and Federal policies vis-à-vis developing policies/bills that could possibly influence conflicts.
The workshop is an immediate take out from the National Quarterly Desk Review where the Media Bill was asked to be reviewed and analyzed.
SCDDD in collaboration with Mercy Corps Nigeria, African Radio and Drama Association (ARDA) and Interfaith Mediation Center (IMC) is therefore working to address ways and manner of media reportage, hence the need for the “Conflict-Sensitive Reporting Workshop for Media Practitioners”.
The Community Initiative to Promote Peace (CIPP) project, is currently being undertaking in partnership with Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Pastoral Resolve (PARE) and Africa Radio and Drama Association (ARDA) with support from Mercy Corps Nigeria, is designed to mitigate violent conflict in at-risk communities in six states of Nigeria’s North West (Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina States) and North Central (Kogi, Benue and Plateau States) zones through an integrated, multifaceted program that; empowers communities to prevent and respond to violence and violent extremism by strengthening key skills and relationships, and fosters an enabling environment for peace through policy advocacy, media outreach, and linkages to development programs.