JOURNALISTS HAVE COMPROMISED THEIR ETHICS- SEN SANI ABUBAKAR
By Christiana Babayo.
The former Deputy Governor of Taraba state, Sen Sani Abubakar Danladi has lamented the deterioration of ethics and conduct in the modern day journalism profession.
Senator Sani who said this in an interactive session with journalists in his Jalingo residence on Wednesday, also stated that journalism had its days of glory and prestige when the mere sight of a journalist is an alert to many in the society but that regard is unfortunately no longer there.
‘The credibility of journalists has been compromised. I am telling you nothing but the truth and I won’t hide it from you all. The ethics of the job are no longer upheld and journalists no longer care to balance their stories, rather they write what will favor them not minding what the other party has to say or what the people need to know.
‘It is quite disheartening because I remember a time where when anyone sees a journalist approaching, they try to sensor what they will say for fear of the pen but now people have become so disenchanted that they no longer care what a journalist has to say about anything they do or say, and this is not what should be’ He said.
Still expressing concerns over the media and society, the senator went further to explain that the case of bad governance or leadership is partly the fault of journalists because it is their primary role to make sure that the masses are well informed.
According to him, where reportage is not balanced and stories are not written objectively, the people will be misinformed and when they follow such information to elect people who are not competent into power, the media is to blame.
The Senator therefore called on journalists and everyone in the pen profession to brace up, get rid of all biases, return to the drawing board and pick up the ethics of their job in order to help them perform their duties with integrity and recover the their lost glory.
‘Journalists must wake up and look inwards, only then can we work together for the greater good of the people we swore to protect. You must uphold high moral standards in this profession even if it will cost you your job because integrity is everything.
There is joy that comes with knowing that you did what is expected and your conscience is clear.
‘If we have to make the country better, we must clean up our closets and set some records straight at least for the sake of the masses you are supposed to inform and keep abreast of the happenings around them’. He advised.
