Mrs Sanwo-Olu tasks journalists on professionalism

The wife of the Lagos State governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has described the role of journalists as critical to the survival and development of the nation, while urging media practitioners to always discharge their responsibility with absolute sense of loyalty, dedication and professionalism. Speaking in Ikeja at the weekend at the grand finale of the […]

The wife of the Lagos State governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has described the role of journalists as critical to the survival and development of the nation, while urging media practitioners to always discharge their responsibility with absolute sense of loyalty, dedication and professionalism.

Speaking in Ikeja at the weekend at the grand finale of the 2019 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos Television chapel, Dr Sanwo-Olu stressed that journalists, as members of the fourth estate of the realm, should be conscious of their key role as the watchdog of the society, and must, therefore, continually give prime considerations to the interest of the nation.

Dr Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by an Assistant Director in charge of Public Affairs in her office, Mrs Olubukonla Nwonah, said,  “Journalists, as we all know, serve as the conscience of the nation, holding government and the people accountable for their actions and inactions.

“Since the role of journalists is critical to the survival and development of any nation, I am urging media practitioners to strive hard to rescue their profession from the abuse of social media. Deliberate efforts must be made to sanitize the new media space, especially in churning out fake news.”

She noted, “In as much as the social media is a tool to inform and educate people on the happenings in the society, it has, however, been abused by unscrupulous characters, who, most times, blow issues out of proportion or indulge in outright falsehood to attract traffic.”