Grace Egila
To enhance professionalism in media practice through adherence to the professional code of ethics for journalists, Stallion Times Media Services has trained 80 journalists on the code of ethics and moral issues in journalism practice in Kano and Kogi states.
The training is under the participatory governance and media literacy project tagged “Get Involved, Dialogue and Improve (G-DRIP)” in Kano and Kogi states.
The project is in collaboration with the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under the Collaborative Media Project working to improve media independence and government accountability, funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
The collaboration is looking to build the capacity of journalists on investigative reporting, ethics, safety, and media literacy for other stakeholders, provoke conversations on media independence, and social justice, and amplify the voices of marginalized groups.
In April 2022, no fewer than 40 journalists cutting across broadcast, blogosphere, and print newspapers were trained on the ‘code of ethics for journalists in Lokoja, Kogi state.
The Project Coordinator and Editor-in-Chief, Stallion Times Media Services, Isiyaku Ahmed noted that the code of ethics deals fundamentally with Editorial Independence, Accuracy and Fairness, Privacy, Privilege/Non-Disclosure, Decency, Discrimination, Reward, and Gratification; Violence; Children and Minors; Access to Information; Social Responsibility; Plagiarism, and Copyright.
He told the participants that while objectivity in today’s overheated political environment might be arguably impossible, they owed it a duty to make impartiality their ultimate goal.
“Even those of you who get paid to write opinions, columns, editorials, talk shows, and blogs should at least be aware of all the relevant ethical codes.
“To rid the media of non-professionals, who often give journalists a name bad requires a holistic approach by all stakeholders,” he added.
He, therefore, urged journalists not to compromise their ethical standards in discharging their duties in society.
He also called on relevant regulatory bodies to enforce the code of ethical conduct and ensure that necessary training and the right attitudes were properly introduced to form a basis for entrance into the profession.
Ahmed assured Journalists that G-DRIP would collaborate with media houses, support, mentor, and assist journalists in writing investigative stories that would expose corruption and promote community development while upholding ethical standards.
The training consultant, Mr. Steven Salawu led the participants through ethical issues in journalism practice.
He emphasized the need for journalists to adhere strictly to the ethics of their profession as one of the attributes of discharging their duty effectively.
He called for enhanced professionalism and adherence to the ethics guiding the practice, adding that the incidence of quacks should be checked by regulatory authorities like the Nigerian Press Council and other regulatory bodies.
Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Kogi State Council Chairman, Adeiza Momoh-Jimoh described the training as key to the journalism profession and commended Stallion Times for bringing the training program to Kogi.
The workshop was characterized by interactive and participatory discussion, question and answer sessions, and personal experiences emanating from media space in the state.
In May 2022, some 40 journalists drawn from Radio, Television, Print Newspapers, and Online publications platforms were also trained on the code of ethics for journalists in Kano state.
In his goodwill message, the NUJ Chairman, Kano Council, Abbas Ibrahim thanked the management of Stallion Times media services for conducting the training in Kano, saying “this is a refresher workshop to remind journalists on code of ethics to improve on their professionalism.
