The Federal Government has appealed to Nigerian journalists to desist from pushing news of terrorism and banditry to their front pages.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja at a two-day National Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Idris argued that reporters should focus on nation-building, adding that responsible journalism must be practised to avoid glorifying crime.
He said, “Yes, we have to do our work, we have to report whatever happens, but you must know that the best reporter, the best editor, is the one who knows what not to report in the interest of nation-building.
“Please, take these terrorists and criminals off your front pages. This is what they crave, free of charge.
“It saddens my mind when I see our front pages, when I see our headlines, reporting the activities of these criminals and underplaying the ones by security agencies.”
He noted that without a secure and peaceful country, the media itself would lack an enabling environment in which to operate.
Idris urged editors to celebrate the sacrifices of young men and women in uniform rather than give free publicity to insurgents.
“We must have a Nigeria to report first before we can even have a union or any other media organisation.
“Please, let’s have that at the back of our minds. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this nation survives,” he said.
The minister stated that beyond kinetic military operations, the Tinubu administration was using non-kinetic tools to combat insecurity by addressing its root causes.
Speaking on other achievements of the administration, the minister said over 1.3 million Nigerian students had accessed higher education through the newly instituted National Education Loan Fund, ensuring that financial constraints do not keep youths out of school.
He also hinted that the Federal Government was working behind the scenes to roll out enhanced welfare packages for media workers in the country to boost their morale and economic well-being.
