Osinbajo, Falana, charge journalists on professional ethics | Nairalaw

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); rights activist, Femi
Falana (SAN), publisher of Premium Times newspaper, Dapo Oloruyomi
and former Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, Borno
State, Muhammed Monguno have asked journalists to be committed to
ethical conduct and professionalism.

Osinbajo, Falana Olorunyomi and Monguno argued, by upholding
ethical conduct and professionalism, journalists would better serve
the nation’s democracy by exposing societal ills and holding
government and its agencies accountable.

They noted that, where journalists abide by the rules of
professional practice, they will also be able to avoid conflicting
with the law.

Osinbajo, Falana, Olorunyomi and Monguno spoke in Abuja on the
opening day of. a “two-day workshop on legal and ethical issues in
investigative journalism in Nigeria,” put together by the Daily
Trust Foundation, Centre for Media Law and Development and
MacArthur Foundation.

The Vice President, who was represented by his media aide, Laolu
Akande, noted the challenges recent development in media
technologies and the social media now pose to media practice.

He said

“We are living in interesting times; and I would say the free
press has arrived at its best possible time and also possibly its
worst time.

“It is the best time for the free press because the advent of
digital technology and the internet continually shape the ultimate
definition of freedom of expression.

“Everyone of us here can have access to and even own a medium.
Any medium of communication is available to us now.

“This is moreso in the age of social media, where for pecuniary,
political or whatever interests, fake news spread like wild fire,
and facts are distorted by a few individuals leveraging on various
media platforms to push outright misrepresentation into the public
space.”

Osinbajo stressed the need for media practitioners to be more
thorough and ensure adequate verification of the information they
push out for public consumption.

He noted that “recent events, including the past general
elections – where fake news and unverified information were shared
by many on different media platforms, and on social media
especially – have also put a spotlight on the importance of
investigative journalism and why our country needs this aspect of
the profession more than ever.

“This is because as gatekeepers, the press can also help in
making government accountable by publishing information on issues
that overwhelmingly serves the greater good of public interest.

Osinbajo, who assured of the willingness of the Federal
Government to provide a conducive environment for the media to
operate, advised that media stakeholders ensure adequate internal
mechanism for regulation within the industry.

He noted that with self-regulation, adoption of ethical codes
and understanding the legal issues guiding the journalism
profession in Nigeria, media practitioners can help preserve media
credibility, check fake news and also enlarge its investigative
journalism space, which is becoming a dying art.

“Journalists should strive to abide by the code of ethics in the
practice of their profession, because without adhering to a code of
ethics, investigative journalism, or any profession at all, would
not thrive as much as it should.

“Of course, we should always be conscious of over-regulation or
infractions of the freedom of the press or freedom of information.
It is important that self-regulation is robust enough to prevent a
situation where government or formal establishments pass laws and
regulations of the trade.

“I think once self-regulation is robust enough, it is easier to
then make the case that we should not have government
regulation.

“As a government, we will continue to play our part in providing
conducive environment for the practice of good journalism and
ensuring the safety of journalists wherever they find themselves in
the line of duty.

“While freedom of speech and expression cannot be censored, it
behooves on the investigative journalist to abide by the journalism
code of ethics in carrying out his/her responsibilities.

“This include observing strictly to the time-tested journalistic
values of honesty, independence, accuracy, fairness, objectivity,
credibility, balance and public accountability.

“On the legal standpoint, investigative journalists should
discharge their duties without infringing on the fundamental rights
of an individual or having unauthorized access to information that
may put the journalist at the risk of criminal prosecution or going
against the laws of the land.

“In all, the greater good should far outweigh any other reason
for embarking on investigative reportage. Adhering to the ethics of
the profession would help in avoiding the pitfalls of legal
challenges,” Osinbajo said.

Falana, who gave many instances where he had assisted
journalists and media organisations avoid being sanctioned,
encouraged media practitioners to remain committed to their
trade.

He said while the nation’s democracy desires a virile media, the
practitioners must be conscious of relevant legal provisions to
enable them effectively discharge their professional
responsibilities without conflicting with the law.

Falana, who identified existing laws that are not media
friendly, admonished media houses and journalists to avoid
practices that could expose them to liability.

He condemned the practice where criminal suspects are paraded
before television cameras, a practice he said has been criminalised
under the Anti Torture Act, 2017.

Olorunyomi, who identified the many changes in the nation’s
media landscape and journalism practice, stressed the importance of
investigative journalism.

He urged journalists to always be conscious of the need to
uphold professional ethics if they want to be respected and taken
seriously.

Monguno stressed the relevance of investigative journalism,
which he said must be practised with strict adherence to the ethics
of the profession.

He advocated continuous training for journalists, particularly
laws relating to the regulation of the industry.

Monguno argued that there was the need for the inclusion of
representatives of the media industry on the Cybercrime Advisory
Council.