Media should be communicators of hope – Rev Ajang

  The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has urged the media to communicate hope and positivity to douse tension and encourage healing in the country. Most. Rev. David Ajang, the Catholic Bishop of Lafia Diocese and Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) social communication chairman; and the National Director of Social Communications, Catholic Secretariat of […]

 

The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has urged the media to communicate hope and positivity to douse tension and encourage healing in the country.

Most. Rev. David Ajang, the Catholic Bishop of Lafia Diocese and Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) social communication chairman; and the National Director of Social Communications, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh, made the call in a separate mass, on the World Communications Day (WCD), at the CSN, headquarters, Durumi, Abuja.

They also called for collective actions and unity among Nigerians to overcome the myriads of challenges facing the country.

Rev. Ajang noted that the disunity in the country was driven by a feeling of marginalisation and that ethno-political agitations in the country would end once the country fixes the problem of leadership.

“Nobody can deny that Nigeria is divided today. Carry out a study, listen to the news; when you listen to a perspective, you can guess where the person comes from. When a certain region is in power, the thinking of most people is that it is the turn of the region to enjoy the goodies of the country, and then those who are not from that region will feel sidelined,” he said.

Bishop Ajang said that media practitioners have been sermonised to be gentle and meek in carrying out their duties as the country faces numerous challenges that are threatening its unity and existence.

He said, “But they are being called to be gentle and meek in this agenda. If you were present at the public lecture, I think this theme was properly handled.

“You know, the delicate balance which those in the media will have to maintain between reporting the truth and then maybe the ownership of the media and then maybe pleasing the government.

“And I think the take-home there was that, at the end of the day, the good of humanity must be at the back of every news item that should be reported.

“While the truth must be maintained, how it either fosters human life and the unity of the country and then the togetherness of the country, that too must be maintained. It’s a very delicate balance to maintain.”

He also urged the government at all levels to ensure an enabling environment for media practitioners in the interest of national development.