Don Calls For Amendment To NBC Rules To Accommodate Social Media Content

A lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication in the
University Benin (UNIBEN), Dr. Daniel Ekhearofe, has on called for
an amend to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) rules
regulating broadcast stations to accommodate social media content
in their operations.

This is even as he said that government can use social media to
galvanise public support, instead of placing restrictions on social
media contents being used by broadcast stations.

He made the call on Thursday, in Benin, while delivering a
lecture titled: “Social Media: Content Platform For Journalism And
Good Governance,” at the 2019 press week organised by the Edo
Broadcasting Service Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists
(NUJ).

Ekhearofe who said that the society “would become a better place
when government gives people opportunity to express themselves
freely,” added that freedom of speech was critical to national
development.

“Government can use the social media to galvanise public support
instead of placing restrictions on social media contents being used
by broadcast stations,” he said.

Ekhearofe urged journalists in broadcast stations to take
advantage of the social media to disseminate information to the
public.

Earlier, the Chairman of the event and Prelate of the Benin
United Baptist Church, Appostle Osama Usunalele, described the
media as critical to the survival of Nigeria’s democracy.

He however advised the media to be careful with the contents​
they put out to the public, and always ensure that they are
balanced and objective.

Usunalele called on the State Government to upgrade the Edo
Broadcasting Service in terms of equipment, to meet with the
digital age.

Also speaking, the Acting General Manager of EBS, Mr. Ransley
Abu-Osagie, harped on the need for media practitioners to strive
for improvement by on-the-job training, to meet up with the digital
broadcasting.

On his part, Chairman of the EBS Chapel, Mr. Oliver Ijiogbe,
said the Press Week was to take a retrospective look at the
performance of the media and to fashion ways for better
performance​.

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