Alhaji Abdulwaheed Odusile, the President of the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ), on Monday, called on journalists to be mindful of their reports in order to stem the tide of avoidable crises in the society.
Odusile made this call in Osogbo while speaking at the inauguration of the Osun NUJ 2017 Press Week, which has the theme of; “The role of the media in fostering peace and development”.
The NUJ president said that journalists should be mindful of how they use their pens, as sensitive reports, if mishandled, could worsen a situation that was already bad .
He called on members to be involved in the practice of developmental journalism, which entails peace building, adding that their reportage should be devoid of exaggeration or coloration of events.
Odusile said that the problem in the profession now was that the young journalists would not want to be mentored anymore, believing that they knew almost everything.
He, however, charged veterans on the job not to rest on their oars but ensure that these young journalists are mentored appropriately.
Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by his personal aide, Mr Lani Baderinwa, while declaring the media week open, congratulated the state NUJ for maintaining peace in the state.
He said that the duty of the media should be about promoting peace and unity, urging them to avoid being used as tools by politicians.
According to Aregbesola, journalists should not be partisan while performing their duties, as they are the people’s watchdogs.
Mr Abiodun Olalere, the Osun NUJ chairman, in his welcome address, thanked God for making the day possible, even as he tasked his colleagues to emphasise investigative journalism in the course of their duties.
Olalere said that development could only thrive in an atmosphere of peace. (NAN)
ID/BOLA/YEMI
