The aim of the meeting was to review the performance of Broadcasters in the ongoing Political Campaign towards the 2015 General Elections and to further emphasize the strategic role of the media to the success of the election. The keynote paper presented by Professor Umaru Pate and the NBC Director General’s Position was exhaustively discussed by participants.
Some of the observations made at the meeting are;
· A lot of damage has been done to the integrity of broadcasting by the recent conduct of broadcast stations in political broadcast.
· Excessive speculations and rumours in coverage and reportage, causing fear
· Lack of issue based political discourse and attacks on personalities rather than scrutiny of the tract records of Candidates in relation to their campaign promises viz-a-viz previous records;
· Denial of access to opposition by broadcast stations.
· Misinformation from the media provokes negative reactions and misdirects the society with severe consequences on national security.
· Broadcasters acting as judges or advocates for politicians and instances of senior Editorial staff of stations acting as media consultants or public relations advisers to candidates and political parties.
· Many broadcast stations jettison the broadcasting Code and other professional code of ethics;
· The Media in a democratic context enables freedom of Speech;
· A Vibrant Media is fundamental to the enthronement and sustenance of a credible democratic Process;
· The Nigerian media, particularly the broadcasting Channels with the advantages of reach, cost, timeliness and acceptability have played and will continue to play critical functions in the promotion of a sustainable democratic system in the country.
· politicians want to divide us, but our work as broadcasters is to come together to build a truly united nation.
RESOLUTIONS:
The meeting resolved that;
1. The conduct of each broadcaster must be in public interest.
2. Political Adverts must be backed by APCON approval
3. The media should do more of investigative journalism to dig into the antecedents of the candidates;
4. The media should condemn hate speeches, physical and verbal attacks, defacing and tearing of posters and billboards of opposition, denial of access to some candidates or parties; harassment and intimidation, kidnapping and assassinations; fraudulent procurement of court injunctions, thuggery etc;
5. Stations should engage inmore professional engagements with politicians, civil society organizations, institutions and agencies involved with elections.
6. The NBC must engage in careful and informed monitoring of the process to ensure that the conduct of each broadcaster is in public interest.
7. The NBC should act decisively against any broadcaster who breaches the Nigeria Broadcasting Code in political broadcast.
8. NBC should engage in crisis management to avert the danger that negative broadcast is capable of causing.
9. Broadcasters should resolve to build a truly democratic and united nation and disallow politicians from causing divisions.
10. The role of the Media professionals at this point should promote, stabilize and add credibility to the democratic process by increasing citizen’s confidence, lower tension and legitimize the outcome.
11. Broadcasters shall ensure the right of Citizens to quality, and credible information on candidates and other electoral processes.
12. Broadcasters should not mortgage their conscience and should hold themselves responsible for the content of their broadcast and not pass the buck to politicians.
13. Insurance of media professionals should be explored in the face of constant threats that they are exposed to.
14. Agreements at this meeting should reflect in the way political broadcasts and advertisements are packaged and broadcast henceforth.
15. Issue based and non-partisan political discourse which is needed in the present electioneering period can bring peaceful Co-existence.
16. The broadcasters should display high level of integrity in discharging there duties.
17. The sacred document, the Nigeria Broadcasting Code should be followed strictly in the interest of political development in Nigeria.
The motion for the adoption of the communiqué was moved by Alhaji Lawal Yusuf Saulawa, Managing Director, Nagarta Radio Kaduna and seconded by Ms. Uche Ubitube of Anambra service, Awka.
Rapporteurs
1. Stella Erhunmwunsee
2. Francisca Aiyetan
3. Matthew Okoduwa
4. Ralph Akpan
5. Olajumoke Coker
6. Clementine Usman-Wamba