Media Expert Commends Director Information, FCT Over Creation Of Online Platform

By: Gyang Dakwo

A media practitioner and Head of the Judiciary Desk, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Mr. Dele Atunbi, has commended the management of the Department of Information and CommunicationFCT, headed by the Director, Muhammad Hazat Sule, for its proactiveness and initiative in the establishment of Abuja Digest Newspaper Online platform.

He said the creation of the online news channels will pave way for the promotion, projections and providing information about the activities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration in real time.

Atunbi gave the commendation while presenting a paper at a training session held for Abuja Digest Staff at the NUJ FCT Council headquarters, Utako District, Abuja.

The Five Day media training organized by the Department of Information and Communication, FCT Administration had the theme “Effective Communications of the Renewed Hope Agenda to the public”.

As part of his paper, Atunbi harped on the need for reporters to strive towards maintaining accuracy and balance in their reportage, while at the same time adhering to the ethics of the journalism profession.

This, he explained, make for the credibility of the publication and in turn speaks volumes about the integrity of the staff.

Among other things, editorial independence Atunbi stressed should be the watchword of every journalist.

According to him, having an independent mindset with regards to reporting helps in no small measure to do away with slanting, if stories to fit the media owners rather than satisfying public good.

He described Abuja Digest as a “growing concern with the legal seal to sue or be sued in its registered name”.

Atunbi, therefore, frowned on the activities of reporters whose stories always land their organisations in litigation and cautioned staff of Abuja Digest to rather watch out for legal implications in the course of putting together stories.

Consequently, laws of libel and slander as well as defamation were looked into with the expectation that it will guide against falling foul of them in the course of writing news stories.