Labaran Maku wants unfied information in the region photo by femi Adebesin-kuti
The Federal Government at the weekend advocated for the establishment of a common regulation and ethics for media practitioners within member nations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Minister of information and communications, Labaran Maku, said at the opening of the ECOWAS Ministers of Information and Communications meeting in Abuja that the role of the media, particularly during conflicts, is too crucial to be left to the practitioners alone, if the developmental goals of the region are to be realised.
The meeting was preceded by that of communication experts in the region, which reviewed the ECOWAS Commission Communication Policy and Strategy, to recommend series of proposals to be adopted by the ministers.
"ECOWAS must define the ethics of the media, without necessarily controlling the practice of journalism. The time has come to engage the various stakeholders to ensure that we have a system in place that renders every professional journalist accountable for his actions, to compel them to obey the core values of the practice.
"If we have this, the region will be leading the way in defining the rules of engagement for media practice, to compel government to be accountable to the press and the press to be accountable to the citizens of the various countries within which they are practising," Mr. Maku further said.
Acknowledging the media as a strong positive force for development, the minister said it can also be a negative force, adding that in situations of conflicts and political instability within nations, the media are hardly neutral as they take sides with combatants, resulting in the division of the citizenry and making it difficult for reconciliation to take place.
"Because of the power and reach of the media, if government cannot professionalise the practitioners as well as have common rules of engagement to hold them accountable to the communities they serve, they could contribute to crisis," he said.
Freedom of information
He challenged participants to develop a policy that will support the growth of the media sector, as well as inculcate in the practitioners the core values required to make them function as unifiers. He called for the promotion of freedom of information across the region.
"If we really want to run a democracy that is accountable to the people, and think about a proper communication process between the governed and their leaders, then the sub-region, of necessity, needs a freedom of information bill that cuts across the entire sub-region, because citizens have been finding it difficult to access information.
"It is important that we have a media that unites across the boundaries of tribe, religion and have common values and ethics that can help the media stand above the divisions and offer both parties in conflict the opportunity to express themselves without being part of the conflict," he said.
On the place of technology in communication management, the minister called for transparency, pointing out that in this modern age, there are only a few things that could be hidden from the public.
ECOWAS Commission president, James Victor Gbeho, stressed the need for revisiting of the instruments that underpin the region's integration agenda, if the vision of transforming from an ‘ECOWAS of states into an ECOWAS of people' is to be realised by 2020.
He said no other area requires more urgent attention than information and communication, which he described as the key drivers.
He also said there was need to forge agreement on a mechanism for effective citizen participation in the integration process, as well as ensuring the region's security and competitiveness on global market of ideas, innovation and trade.
Minister of information and communications, Labaran Maku, said at the opening of the ECOWAS Ministers of Information and Communications meeting in Abuja that the role of the media, particularly during conflicts, is too crucial to be left to the practitioners alone, if the developmental goals of the region are to be realised.
The meeting was preceded by that of communication experts in the region, which reviewed the ECOWAS Commission Communication Policy and Strategy, to recommend series of proposals to be adopted by the ministers.
"ECOWAS must define the ethics of the media, without necessarily controlling the practice of journalism. The time has come to engage the various stakeholders to ensure that we have a system in place that renders every professional journalist accountable for his actions, to compel them to obey the core values of the practice.
"If we have this, the region will be leading the way in defining the rules of engagement for media practice, to compel government to be accountable to the press and the press to be accountable to the citizens of the various countries within which they are practising," Mr. Maku further said.
Acknowledging the media as a strong positive force for development, the minister said it can also be a negative force, adding that in situations of conflicts and political instability within nations, the media are hardly neutral as they take sides with combatants, resulting in the division of the citizenry and making it difficult for reconciliation to take place.
"Because of the power and reach of the media, if government cannot professionalise the practitioners as well as have common rules of engagement to hold them accountable to the communities they serve, they could contribute to crisis," he said.
Freedom of information
He challenged participants to develop a policy that will support the growth of the media sector, as well as inculcate in the practitioners the core values required to make them function as unifiers. He called for the promotion of freedom of information across the region.
"If we really want to run a democracy that is accountable to the people, and think about a proper communication process between the governed and their leaders, then the sub-region, of necessity, needs a freedom of information bill that cuts across the entire sub-region, because citizens have been finding it difficult to access information.
"It is important that we have a media that unites across the boundaries of tribe, religion and have common values and ethics that can help the media stand above the divisions and offer both parties in conflict the opportunity to express themselves without being part of the conflict," he said.
On the place of technology in communication management, the minister called for transparency, pointing out that in this modern age, there are only a few things that could be hidden from the public.
ECOWAS Commission president, James Victor Gbeho, stressed the need for revisiting of the instruments that underpin the region's integration agenda, if the vision of transforming from an ‘ECOWAS of states into an ECOWAS of people' is to be realised by 2020.
He said no other area requires more urgent attention than information and communication, which he described as the key drivers.
He also said there was need to forge agreement on a mechanism for effective citizen participation in the integration process, as well as ensuring the region's security and competitiveness on global market of ideas, innovation and trade.
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