Veteran journalists and communication experts have urged journalists and media houses to be sensitive in their reporting in order to promote peace and also avoid conflict in the country.
This was said at a one-day training organized by the Journalists For Democratic Rights, JODER, with the support of Ford Foundation and Institute Of International Education, IIE, to train journalists on the need to be guided by ethics of the profession and not to be influenced by actors in conflicts.
Wale Adeoye, Executive Secretary of JODER, in his remarks stressed the need of upholding ethics of the profession and also avoid name calling and labeling of individuals through reports.
He pointed out that in any culture of prevention, effective and democratic media are an essential part and indispensable for societies trying to make a transition towards peace and democracy.
He said, “Information is power and insight can impact on public discourse. This way, perceptions can be changed by access to media.
“Different types of media are utilised globally to distribute knowledge and idealistically, free mass media is a tool of and signpost for democracy,”
According to him, Freedom of expression is not only the core of a healthy media but also a fundamental human right and vital for a democratic structure and that it stands for freedom of speech, the right to information and the representation of different opinions in a heterogeneous society.
Adeoye, further stressed that internal conflicts do not occur spontaneously but tend to have a history and local media usually have a deeper understanding of the existing political structures, the participants of the conflict as well as the changes preceding the outbreak of violence.
The media, he continued can therefore not only influence society before the conflict by recognising and properly addressing the issue but also afterwards.
In his view, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos state Council, Dr. Quasim Akinreti gave an overview of some possible ways in which old and new media can make a positive contribution at different stages of the conflict cycle, from early warning to de-escalation, reconciliation and strengthened social cohesion.
While he expressed concern about emergence of non professionals and populating the social media and now promoting fake and sensational reports, the traditional media especially those controlled by the state has the responsibility to balance their reports and promote peace.
Akinreti, insisted on responsible journalism which pays more attention to all sides in a conflict in order to present balanced report.
He added that the perceptions of rank and file members of different groups, paves the way to a better mutual understanding, looks for common ground and explores ways in which different communities can peacefully live together in the future.
The NUJ chairman also laid emphasis on private media which faces another problem of ownership control and interest. While he said they can market their products and make sales, nevertheless they do not have to promote sensational reporting.
In this way, media can easily contribute to the escalation of conflicts, because acts of violence may dominate the news, and peaceful interaction remains underreported.
He said that the New Social Media provide unique opportunities for individuals to articulate their opinion, get their voices heard, and draw public attention to issues that need to be addressed, but social media, too, are not without problems.
According to him, Social media often spread unfounded rumors, half truths, and can also be used to mobilize people to commit acts of violence.
He observed that if people have nothing else to do, memories of past conflicts easily become idealized and the pain of violence is no longer felt, and memories of heroism are cultivated as people may start to glorify the past experience, which might prepare the ground for new violent confrontations.
Akinreti said that the media can make a very important contribution to deglamorize violence which he said is a task for all mass media.
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