…As media chiefs dare Commission, Says: ‘You can’t tell us how to report attacks”
The Socio-Economic Right and Accountability Project, (SERAP), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC), recent directives issued to broadcast stations on revealing too much details on the activities of bandits and kidnappers.
Recall that, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in a letter dated July 7, 2021, issued to television and radio stations, stressing that they shouldn’t glamourise the nefarious activities of insurgents during their daily newspaper reviews.
SERAP, in a statement posted via its official social media handle @serapnigeria urged the President to withdraw the order.
“We urge President Buhari to instruct the NBC to immediately withdraw its illegal order to TV and radio stations not to divulge “details” of the activities of terrorists and kidnappers in their reports”.
Also, media leaders have berated the Federal Government over its latest directive
Speaking in separate interviews yesterday, some media chiefs in the country insists that the media won’t be deterred by the directive.
The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, (NGE), Mustapha Isah, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo and the Executive Director, Centre for Media Law and Advocacy, Richard Akinnola, pointed out that the media reports activities and does not create events.
NGE President, Isah said he agreed with the NBC that broadcast stations should not glamourise the activities of insurgents.
On his part, Isiguzo said the NUJ would ensure that the media space was not compressed in Nigeria under any guise, while Akinnola stated that the NBC directive is obnoxious and a subtle attempt to gag the press.
