COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON PROFERING SOLUTIONS TO MEDIA CHALLENGES ORGANIZED BY THE EKITI STATE COUNCIL OF THE NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS (NUJ) HELD AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTRE, OKE-BAREKE, OLD GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, ADO-EKITI ON TUESDAY, 6TH DECEMBER, 2022.
The participants and stakeholders in the media after intellectual and thorough deliberations on various issues of concern bothering on Journalists and the profession resolved as follows:
1. Participants agreed that there is need for periodic training and retraining of media professionals to keep them abreast of new developments and innovations in the Journalism industry.
2. That Federal and State governments should invest in government owned media, equip them with modern facilities and connect them to National grid.
3.That broadcasters should desist from reading too many paragraphs during newspaper review programmes as such development has continued to kill the newspaper companies.
4.That objectivity as one of the core values of Journalism, must be upheld at all times, regardless of the situation.
5. There is need for Journalists to go beyond the surface but always dig deep in their reports, as well as imbibing the culture of Investigative Journalism, which will be beneficial to the society.
6. There is need for Journalists to have the right attitude towards the profession, for the society to respect and regard the media while the curriculum of various institutions offering journalism courses should be reviewed to meet up with modern day realities.
7. It was agreed that Media organizations and their proprietors must place high priority on the welfare and well-being of their employees, so that Journalists will not be distracted with gratifications.
8. There is need for proper legislation to empower NUJ to regulate media activities as such would give standardize the profession and create avenue to address issues of quackery and instill discipline.
9. It was agreed that Media organizations should explore other areas by thinking outside the box, in a bid to survive amidst the current hike in fuel price.
Signed
Kayode Babatuyi
Secretary NUJ
Ekiti Council.