Mass Communication Don Insists on Professionalism for Practitioners of the Pen Profession
Posted by Norah Okafor | 5 years ago | 2,313 times
The first female Nigerian Professor of Mass Communication, and the Dean, Mass Communication Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna has called on media practitioners to make professional their watchword in the practice of the revered profession.
Prof. Okunna stated this while delivering a lecture titled "According Ethics and Profession Deserved Priority in Reporting Elections in Nigeria," at a two day workshop for the media held in Enugu for the media in the Southeast and Southsouth.
The univeristy don lamented that despite the fact that he media wields enough power at ensuring a democratic society, they have failed in her responsibilities of setting the right agenda, conferring the right status and framing stories that impacts directly on the masses.
She said "no society thrives without the media", and reminded them that ethics are the moral principles that guides journalists in their reportage while professionalism is being knowledgeable about the work and seamlessly apply it to achieve ones aims.
She called on them to imbibe the right approach to the profession by making truth, accuracy, fairness, balance, objectivity, confidentiality of source, and impartiality as their watchword. Prof. Okunna who described sycophancy and pressure as the bane of journalism practice in Nigeria called on practitioners to resist all forms of threats and pressure which could be both internal and external.
She called for an end to stringent laws by the government which according to her leads to high level of unprofessionalism and advocated for an absolutely free media to enthrone true democratic principles while calling on journalists to be knowledgeable about the Code of Ethics of their profession.
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