2015: When media practitioners launched self-regulation code

This has led to the recent launch of  the “Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage” pamphlet on Wednesday in Lagos to guide the coverage and reporting of the electoral processes of the 2015 elections. The 30-page document, which was adopted by the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild […]

This has led to the recent launch of  the “Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage” pamphlet on Wednesday in Lagos to guide the coverage and reporting of the electoral processes of the 2015 elections.
The 30-page document, which was adopted by the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Radio Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Media Rights Agenda (MIRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC), was a product of months of deliberations and inputs.
The publication and its launch were facilitated by the Democratic Development Project (DGD) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
At the launch the Chairman, Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust, Weekly Trust, Sunday Trust and Aminiya, Malam Kabiru Yusuf, charged Nigerians to ensure that they become the ultimate winners of the 2015 general elections. Malam Yusuf also urged the media to spearhead the push for free expression and ensure that all stakeholders align with it.
“We must accept that whatever the election produces, we must stand by it. In Media Trust Ltd, we have a programme coming up in January. It looks at the 2015 general elections and the message is that, whatever it is, let Nigerians be the winners.
“It is not about the PDP, it is not about the APC. Of course, we all have our preferences but we must not allow that to override the people’s decision. If this country does not win, we are all going to be the losers,” he said.
He further noted that the task of ensuring successful elections is not for INEC alone, but one in which all Nigerians and every concerned stakeholder must participate.
“INEC alone cannot do it for us. I believe we, as citizens of Nigeria, must decide. We must decide whether we want democracy. We must decide whether we want credible leaders or we want to put up with much less. We have a long list of electioneering problems in this country when things were not done properly.
“We have had to put up with this, maybe because people are not complaining or the complaints are not being taken care of. We need to clean up the system. But INEC alone cannot do it. We as citizens must all decide if we want to break away from the tradition of the past when our elections were not credible, when we elected leaders who were not doing what majority of the people wanted,” Yusuf said.
On the new media code of election coverage, Mallam Yusuf said professional codes of ethics are often fashioned out, but what is most important is the will to follow them. He also observed that the media had also been part of the corrupt system over the years. “In terms of the media which is our specific task here, we all have the responsibility. I have the privilege of going through this document, it is not really something new to us because we all have rules. The NUJ has rules, the NGE has rules, all of us have rules. Even each newspaper has rules.
“I remember when we started this policy of ‘No, Thank You’ in Media Trust, some of our colleagues in other newspapers were laughing at us. They were saying how do you intend to stop gratification, that it is the culture in Nigeria. So, it is a big challenge. The media has been part of this corrupt system. That is the truth of it. We are all part of it. I think what will help in this new media code is that it is specific about election. There are sections there that talk about hate speech, unsubstantiated figures that can generate conflict and everything that will help media organisations on election coverage,” he added.
Director of the UNDP-DGD Project, Dr. Mourtada Deme, said although the UNDP is happy to be part of the publication of the code, the implementation of the provisions therein is the most important.
President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr Femi Adesina, said the code, being the first of its kind, is a landmark in the history of election coverage and reporting, especially for the forthcoming elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said the mistakes of the 2011 elections, especially on logistics and the shift in the April 22 presidential election, would not repeat itself as the Commission had learnt from the mistakes.