Toward Educating an Ethical Journalist

I spoke to Africa Independent Television at the one-day workshop on "the Roles of the Public and the Press Towards Peaceful Elections” hosted Tuesday, 13 December 2022, by the Center for the Study of African Culture and Communication (CESACC) at the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), in collaboration with the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace and the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Rivers State Council, at the Ernest Ikoli Press Center, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. I represented and presented an address, “Towards Educating an Ethical Journalist,” on behalf of CIWA Rector Fr. Prof. Jude Abidemi Asanbe:

We live in interesting times; the era of fake news and alternative truth. The effect of living in a globalized world - with access to modern communication technologies, the internet, and the social media - is that even though these phenomena started in distant lands/far away places, they eventually get to our clime.         Today in Nigeria, with our elections coming up in early 2023, these issues have become our realities too.

Political claims and counter claims, truths and half truths, verified and unverified claims and statements fly around. So, it is germane that we are gathered here today, as professionals and students of media and journalism, as producers and consumers of media contents, to reflect on the role of the public and the press towards peaceful elections. 

We thank the Cardinal Onayikan Foundation for Peace, the Center for the Study of African Culture and Communication at CIWA, as well as the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Rivers State Council, for this wonderful initiative. What we do here today ties very well with the invitation of Pope Francis to Catholics and Christians, not only to be engaged and active in politics, but also to promote politics for and with the people. Because politics affects all of us, we cannot afford to be aloof to it and pretend to leave it for others, especially those in it, not to serve, but to feather their own nests. 

At CIWA, ours becomes a mission, a mission of witnessing to the Gospel of Christ that calls us to  labor for the Kingdom of God here on earth and to bring about a more wholesome humanity. We educate students in the Catholic Tradition which celebrates the media as a tool of social communications and upholds the work of the journalist as a call to serve the Church and humanity and to hold society accountable. 

We educate men and women to understand that the first obligation of journalists is to the truth; their first loyalty is to the citizens; and the essence of their profession is the discipline of objectivity and verification. Hence, in order to serve as independent monitors of power, in order to function as credible watch dogs to society, journalists must maintain an independence from those they serve, especially the politicians at this election period. 

So, towards a peaceful general election in Nigeria, come 2023, we, as the members of the public and the press, are invited and encouraged to take part and play an active role in the political process, to shun violence and inflammatory comments. But above all, let us get our PVCs; and go out and vote wisely. I encourage us to make friends and make peace in the process. Have fun too while at it. Instead of fighting one another across political divides and promoting violence, be kind and of good cheer; sing and dance to: As e dey sweet us, e dey sweet dem; as e dey sweet dem, e dey sweet us.

The Catholic Institute of West Africa is proud to continue to partner with the Nigerian Union of Journalists towards advancing the work of the press at this critical time in our nation as well as towards promoting press freedom and peaceful elections.

May God continue to bless our efforts.

Thank you.