By Mojisola Oladele
Ahead of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15, heads of media organisations have been urged to ensure information disseminated to the public is unbiased and in line with the code of the National Broadcasting Commission.
The Director-General of the commission, Charles Ebuebu, made the call at a Political Broadcast Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Osogbo and organised by the NBC Ibadan Zone.
The meeting had the theme: “Upholding Principles of Fairness, Accuracy and Impartiality in an Election.”
Represented by an official from Abuja Directorate, Mr Kunle Famous-Cole, Mr Ebuebu said it was imperative for broadcasters to exercise disciplined judgment, accurate reporting and balanced presentation, while respecting the public’s right to truthful information.
He noted that, political broadcasting carries immense democratic responsibility and stressed that programmes and reportage must remain issue-based and professional in order to sustain the nation’s democracy.
In a paper titled “Political Coverage in the Broadcast Media: The Need for Professionalism,” the Coordinating Director, Broadcast Monitoring at the commission, Susan Obi, said evidence shows that radio remains one of the most accessible media platforms across the country.
Dr Obi therefore urged media organisations to maintain professionalism in their coverage during election periods.
Also speaking, the Director of Investigation and Enforcement at the commission, Pauline Ehusani, delivered a lecture titled “The NBC Code: Guiding Principles for Political Broadcasts.”
She emphasised that, all political campaign content must cease 24 hours before election day, in accordance with the NBC Code.
In his presentation titled “INEC Guidelines and Expectations from Broadcasting During Elections,” the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mutiu Agboke, said the role of broadcast media in shaping public perception, strengthening democratic values and ensuring credible electoral outcomes could not be over-emphasised.
Dr Agboke reiterated the resolve of the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a credible, inclusive and transparent election that would reflect the will of the people.
In separate interviews with Radio Nigeria, participants including the General Manager of FRCN Gold FM, Ilesa, Mrs Olukemi Oni, the Station Manager of OSBC Radiovision, Iwo, Alhaji Muideen Adeleke, and a politician, Prince Adesoji Adeleke, commended the NBC for organising the event, describing it as timely and relevant.
The event was attended by heads of radio and television stations across the state, security representatives, political party representatives and other relevant stakeholders.
