The Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, has tasked journalists to uphold professionalism, accuracy, and responsible reporting to safeguard the credibility of traditional media in the digital age.
Malam Ndace gave the charge in an interview after delivering a goodwill message at the 82nd General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, South-South Nigeria.
He said the proliferation of digital platforms had democratised the media space, making it imperative for professional journalists to distinguish themselves through credible and contextual reporting.
He said, “What is more important for us as professionals in the 21st century is for us to understand that when you generate content, it is your ability to put it in context; that is where our niche is as professional media.
“Everybody claims to be a journalist, everybody claims to be a content creator. We have no issue with that because the media space has been democratised.”
The VON DG, however, stressed that traditional media had a responsibility to uphold professional standards and provide context to information in ways that distinguish it from unverified content.
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“But for us in the traditional media, either public or private, we have a responsibility to hold the ground,” he said.
Ndace urged journalists to maintain balance when reporting political issues and exercise compassion when covering security incidents, disasters and other sensitive human-interest stories.
“When you are reporting politics, do not malign anybody, do not undermine individual states or any individual in the race. Be balanced. Also, when you are reporting security issues, report it with compassion,” Ndace emphasised.
He also charged editors and media managers to provide continuous guidance to reporters, particularly when covering sensitive incidents, rather than leaving the responsibility entirely to reporters in the field.
The VON DG advised journalists to continually develop themselves, especially in their beats, and understand the political, social and security contexts of the communities they cover.
He said the survival of traditional media depended largely on journalists earning and maintaining public trust.
“There is a threat to our profession; and we are the only ones that can save our own profession. Let people rely on us for the information they need,” Ndace said.
He also encouraged media practitioners to embrace the convergence of text, audio and video, noting that modern reporters must be equipped to produce content across multiple platforms while retaining professional standards.
Ndace said the ability to place information in context remained a key strength of professional journalism in an increasingly crowded media environment.
