TRAIN JOURNALISTS ON CONFLICT REPORTING, MEDIA OWNERS URGED

A call has been made to proprietors of media organizations in the country to send journalists for regular training in the area of conflict reporting.

A communiqué issued at the end of a four-day workshop on Analyzing and Reporting Conflict held at Dunoma Hotel Lafia, Nasarawa State, said it would be in the best interest of the nation to promote investigative and developmental journalism.

It also reminded journalists of their responsibilities to the society and implored them to be in the vanguard of development and provide voice for the voiceless.

The communiqué signed by Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) officials of Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Bauchi states and the representative of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) also called on the controlling agencies such as NUJ, BON, NPC, Guild of Editors and other concerned bodies to be assertive in ensuring that proper and qualified personnel  were employed as journalists.

It also called on the regulatory agencies to ensure that the rules guiding political publications and broadcasting were strictly adhered to in order to sanitize the media environment during the political period.

The communiqué called for immediate passage of the Freedom of Information Bill and other related bills that touch on the welfare and practice of journalism profession.

It also urged government to as a matter of urgency, adopt measures to check proliferation of media houses particularly in the print and urged media organizations to be gender sensitive in their administration. It charged journalists to focus their reportage more on issues of development rather than fanning embers of hatred and violence.