NUJ To Release Revised Code Of Ethics For Journalists

Chris Isiguzo, National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has announced that the NUJ is set to release a revised Code of Ethics for journalists in Nigeria.

The new code of ethics is expected to include a bill of rights for journalists and address the practices of new media. 

According to Chris Isiguzo, the release of the revised Code of Ethics for journalists in the country is imminent, as key stakeholders are finalizing it. 

The NUJ boss made this announcement during a "Digital Journalism and Fact-Checking Workshop" for journalists in Rivers State. 

He stated that major stakeholders, such as the NUJ, the Nigeria Guild of Editors, and the Newspaper Proprietors of Nigeria (NPAN) are collaborating to ensure the successful release of the code, with only minor outstanding issues to be resolved.

The event themed  "Imperatives of Digital News Verification for 2023 Elections" was held in Port Harcourt and was sponsored by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). 

It was facilitated by the Image Merchants Promotion (IMPR) Limited, the publisher of PRNigeria, in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). 

Isiguzo emphasised the importance of media self-regulation and announced that NUJ is working towards the formulation of a Bill of Rights for journalists, as well as the creation of an Ombudsman to regulate the practice of journalism in the country. 

“We also believe that the Ombudsman would help deliver satisfactory, speedy, and accessible remedies to many of the complaints against our journalists and media organisations,” he said.

He also stated that the Bill of Rights would provide guidelines for the conditions of service and operations of journalists, so that publishers, media owners, and the government would be aware of their obligations to journalists

He encouraged journalists to report on the upcoming elections in a way that promotes a peaceful election and environment, emphasizing the importance of development journalism rather than journalism that fuels division, hate and crisis in the society

The NUJ President advised journalists to adopt the "Global Ethics Charter for Journalists" in light of the proliferation of fake news. 

“While there is nothing like ethics and morality in the social media, and by implications, in the general information disorder we find ourselves in, however, it is proper to encourage accountability in the mainstream media and in whatever we do as media professionals,” Isiguzo added.

He said that in order for Nigerian journalists to contribute to a peaceful 2023 election, they must adhere to high ethical standards in their reporting and exercise responsibility when covering political issues and events.