President Goodluck Jonathan has advised the media to desist from celebrating terrorists in their reports.
Jonathan who spoke in Abuja at a book launch titled: “What they don’t teach you in broadcasting” written by Orji Ogbonnaya Orji said terrorists should not be motivated by reports on them to keep engaging in their violent acts.
The President who was represented by Minister of Information, Labaran Maku said though the public should be informed of happenings in the society, terrorist should not be given undue attention.
Terrorist, according to Jonathan “” need publicity to be recognized and they depend on the media but they do not deserve the type of publicity the media is giving them.”
He said reports on terrorism should not be written to incite the people against one another, religion, and the government but should in a way unite the people to fight the terrorists.
Jonathan said the government was doing its best to curb the menace of insurgency but noted that “the problem we are facing is that these insurgents live with us.”
“The media should sensitize the public with their reports so that they can unite and fish them out thereby bring terrorism to an end quickly. I am not saying that you shouldn’t report when there are, say, terrorists’ attacks on innocent citizens but we must report from the point of view of arousing society to reject their message, to unite society against what they are doing.
“I am still calling on all of us to be able define the thin line that exists between the urge to report and the need to protect. We need to really come to a definition of what the responsibility of the media should be to organizations and persons whose major objective is to destroy society, to incite hatred among normal people. I have said it that if we black out terrorism for a period, I am sure it will go down,” the President stated.
Jonathan added that terrorism and related activities could only be tackled effectively if all segments of society, particularly the media join forces against it.
Author of the book, Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, said there were lots in the broadcast world which lecturers in institutions didn’t teach the students while they were in school.
According to him, there are reports dished out by reporters that could make the public loose confidence in them.
He said the book will educate reporters on better ways to carry out their jobs and gain the confidence of their audience, adding that the book is an intervention towards restoring the falling standards in the broadcast industry.
Mr. Orji urged the media to support security agencies and unite Nigerians in the fight against terrorists.
Director General, Voice of Nigeria, Abubakar Jijiwa recommended the book for broadcasters and students of mass communication so that they would be kept abreast of what they need to know about the profession outside what they were taught in the classroom. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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