By Emmanuel Onwusoro.
Considering the pride of place the media occupy in Nigeria’s electoral process, and even in the global environment, members of the Nigeria Union Of Journalists,NUJ, Ekiti State Ministry of Information Chapter, in their 2022 Press Week and Public Lecture, deemed it apposite to assemble their colleagues from other media houses for a lecture which dwelt on charting the way for the 2023 electioneering.
The arrowhead for the arrangements of the day’s event and former chairman of the NUJ Chapel, Comrade Rotimi Feyisina and members of his team did not leave anything to chance as they ensured that everything was properly put in place before the arrival of guests which also included non-media practitioners. To him, it was another happy reunion of the members with their counterparts from sister media outfits since that of 2022 took place because it is a yearly affair. And more fundamental, to appreciate the Most High for the journey so far.
In an address of welcome,the Chapel Chairman,Comrade Seun Ogunsakin whose speech was delivered by the Vice Chairman,Comrade Sunday Abimbola advised journalists that as they prepare for the coverage of the 2023 general elections, there is need to keep to the ethics of the profession and the demonstration of professionalism in their job.
He believed that the media practitioners have vital role to play towards the success of the general elections in collaboration with other stakeholders,adding that the lecture was put together with a view to keeping them abreast of the way to go.
The guest lecturer,a man I can say has paid his dues in the trade, the General Manager,Fresh FM,Ado-Ekiti, Mr Jide Ogunluyi left nobody in doubt that he was at home with the theme of the public lecture as he kept the scenario animated and everybody held spellbound.
Speaking on the theme: “The Import And Influence Of Media Practitioners In The Electoral Process”, Mr Ogunluyi said every election starts from the campaign to the election proper. According to him,”where the media is absent in the electoral process,then there is no election. As media practitioners I expect you to be mindful of what you gather,is it from a credible source. From where are you gathering it. Is your information timely? Where am I disseminating this information? Is the information getting to the right destination? What type of language do I use? Is my language going to be clear? Will it convey the desired meaning of what I intend to pass to the public?”
He maintained that If your language is vague,if your language is not communicating,then the people you’re disseminating information to will help you interpret your information/message,adding that the danger in this is that when they interpret your information for you,they misinterpret and cause chaos. And when this occurs they they begin to look for the writer of the story. Not the public who misinterpreted you. “Therefore, I expect you to look at your language,it must not be tinted with lies. It must be a true reflection of what we see. And here we are talking about objectivity”.
The guest speaker described “news as a factual account of an event as reported in the media. If it is not reported in the media,then it is not news because it is an information that goes from mouth to mouth. And when it goes from mouth to mouth before it gets to the public,the information becomes distorted,disjointed and the full meaning is lost”. He said the media can influence the electoral process by helping the public to make a choice of candidates standing for election. And how do you help then to make a choice? He queried. “It is what you say about them that people consume because people look unto you as source of information. They rely on you, and when they gather information from you , the first thing they do is to digest the information. After digesting the information,then they make their choice. It is at the point of making the choice,that your influence is known”.
Mr Ogunluyi pointed out that you cannot cover an assignment without an event. He underscored the fact that the first thing that happens is that there must be an event that you’re covering. Citing for instance, that even if you’re asked to go and cover a marriage ceremony that didn’t hold, when you get there,the marriage is not holding,you cannot say there was no event,stressing that the marriage did not hold is an event itself because it is now your duty to find out why the marriage did not hold which he is the news. “No news is good news,except the bad one. If you give an account of an event factually in the media,then the cycle is completed. Now the influence is that you are to make the public to make a choice. You also influence the election whether it is going to be smooth or not. If you cry foul at the beginning of the electoral process,the people will not have confidence in that electoral process”.
At the end of the lecture,questions were raised by the audience on how media ownership,Godfatherism,high illiteracy level,fake news and what someone tagged,”emergency journalists”, can affect the coverage of elections in the country.
The following persons were honoured; Chief (Mrs)Kemi Elebute-Halle—- Female Politician of the Year. Mr Yinka Oyebode—- Media Personality Of The Year. Dr(Mrs)Margaret Fagboyo—- Distinguished Public Servant Of The Year. Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele—-Senator Of The Year.