Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state has cautioned media experts in the state to steer clear of unconfirmed reports and promote good governance.
Nwifuru gave the charge at the occasion marking the 70 years of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abakaliki on Friday.
The governor, who decried the way journalists report unverified news, said there was a need to embrace objectivity and accuracy in their daily reportage.
Nwifuru, represented by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, M.r Chikadibia Okpor, said the present government was committed to promoting press freedom.
He hailed NUJ at 70 and stressed that the importance of information and communication to nation building could not be over-emphasised in the history of Nigeria.
The chairman of the occasion, Mr. Abia Onyike, described the media as the “monitor of government” all-over the world.
Onyike, a former commissioner for information in Ebonyi, emphasised the need for journalists to embrace fairness and balanced reporting.
A communication scholar and Head of Department of Mass Communication, Alex-Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike in Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi state, Dr. Joe Chukwu, said in his keynote lecture, that the media had played key roles in promoting in the nation’s democracy.
Chukwu noted that the advocacy for press freedom had yielded good fruits to national development.
“Democracy in Nigeria has been promoted through the media. The NUJ has made a concerted effort in promoting female journalists,” he said.
The state chairman of the Council, Mr. Samson Nwafor, expressed happiness over the union at 70 and pledged the continued support of the media in promoting good governance.