Avoid falsehood, negative contents, media practitioners told
* As Vision Africa holds 11th media training institute in Abia
By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA – Media practitioners have been counseled against disseminating falsehood and negative contents.
Professor of Mass Communication and
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Gregory University Uturu, Professor Uwaoma Uche, gave the advice while speaking at the 11 edition of Vision Africa Media Training Institute held in Umuahia.
The DVC who spoke on ” Ethical Considerations For The Message And The Messenger”, charged media workers to embrace ethics of journalism to ensure peaceful society.
Professor Uche called on media practitioners to be conscious of their message, and to adopt “international best standard of practice which is ethical compliance.”
According to him, ethics is important in every society to promote peace and discipline which help to resolve conflicts.
He also urged media workers to respect life, integrity and recognize that Vision Africa has upholding integrity.
The DVC advised journalists to always stand for the truth no matter who is involved, adding that falsehood does not last.
He particularly, warned bloggers to avoid fake news in their desperation to draw traffic in the name of ‘breaking news”.
Earlier in his address, the President of Vision Africa and co-chair of Interfaith Peace and Dialogue Forum, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, tasked communicators including clerics and media practitioners on disseminating the right information to avoid setting society on fire.
The former Presidential Assistant on Privatisation also called for behavioral change and self sensorship among media practitioners and communicators.
” Our world today is at the verge of self destruction because of what we write, what we say, and what we convince the ignorant to believe. Every communicator has the opportunity to build or to destroy, and whatever choice you make has collateral consequences because no one exists in isolation.
“It is my conviction that if we want to salvage Nigeria from self destruction, we must re-orient and cause a behavioral change. The human mind must be transformed and renewed to detest evil. We must be committed to educating the young generation about the benefits of nationhood, and the advantages inherent in our humanity.”
He expressed worry over erosion of moral values and ethical behavior among the youths.
“I am concerned for many African societies where it appears as if there are not adequate plans for the next generation. Societies where a great number of her young people are out of school, where the young feel cheated out of their future, and where get rich quick-or die trying is the slogan for that demographic. A society that takes away moral education from schools, and obliterates the history of its people, may just be raising educated illiterates, who may become sophisticated tools or weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists and deadly extremists.
“Communication must be authentic either as media communicators, or even as pulpit faith based managers. Remember that you are accountable for the people who listen to you. Create spaces for genuine connections, create age appropriate content, and always look for ways to advocate for peace and social justice, for the sake of our shared humanity.”
Resource persons for the two-day training came from the United States of America while participants were drawn from the media, clergy, students of Mass Communication at the various tertiary institutions in the state, among others.
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