ONDO 2024: INEC Urge Media Personnel to Adhere to Principle of Journalism
Ahead of the November 16 Ondo State gubernatorial election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned all journalists across the state to shun dissemination of falsified news before, during and after the election.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Sam Olumekun, advised all journalists to adhere to the core principles of journalism in their reportage.
Inorder to achieve a free and fair election, he urged them to verify all information carefully before disseminating to the general public.
Speaking on security, Olumekun assured all participants that INEC will deploy security personnels to all polling units, collation centres and other strategic locations across the state. He added that the security of all media and electoral stakeholders is their utmost responsibility.
Also present at the workshop programme was the Administrative Secretary of the Electoral Umpire, Abiodun Onikate Amosun, who disclosed that the aim of the training was to furnish all journalists with thorough information on the guidelines, processes and procedures that will govern the upcoming election. According to him, the commission has put in place devise measures inorder to actualise an uninterrupted election.
He said, “We aim to guarantee a free, fair, transparent, and credible election, and your cooperation is essential to achieving this goal.
“As members of the media, you must be well-versed in these processes to ensure accurate reportage and avoid the spread of speculations, misinformation, and disinformation. As we all know, INEC’s electoral guidelines are established to ensure fairness and transparency.
“You must report these rules accurately to prevent confusion or misinformation. Whether covering the proper use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) or detailing the steps involved in result collation, your reporting must correctly reflect these processes.”
The Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Prince Leke Adegbite, in his remarks appreciated INEC for organizing the workshop programme, which will help journalists to cover their beats effectively in the upcoming election.
He therefore assured that all hands will be on deck to tackle the issue of fake news dissemination during the electoral processes.
COMMENTS