{"id":42406,"date":"2015-09-29T21:38:25","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T20:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=42406"},"modified":"2015-09-29T21:38:25","modified_gmt":"2015-09-29T20:38:25","slug":"the-nigerian-media-and-ethical-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/articles-opinions\/the-nigerian-media-and-ethical-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"*The Nigerian media and ethical issues *"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
William G. Mathor, a notable sociologist, once observed that the doctoring
\nof news by newsmen is repugnant .The current trend in the country is
\nsimilar to what obtained during the “Libertarian Age” where a public
\nofficer hardly expects a fair deal from an opposition news organ.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, media organizations in the country have seemingly aligned
\nthemselves along interest lines. A typical case is a recent news report by
\none of the adjudged reputable media organizations in the country on the
\nAbia Governorship Election Petition.<\/p>\n

Newsmen, though human beings, are strongly expected to separate themselves
\nfrom news reports. In the report entitled “ABIA Gov. election petition:
\nCourt of Appeal judgment dims PDP\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hope “, the author of the report
\nglaringly and convincingly demonstrated partiality. It is interesting when
\nnewsmen demonstrate the ability to separate news from comments; get facts
\nof a story and present same with as much detachment as possible, especially
\nwhen handling a critical issue such as an election petition.<\/p>\n

It is an incontrovertible fact in news reporting that the headline always
\nagree with the body of the story. But in this instance, the author just
\ntook off and rambled through the story and finally landed in a destination
\nthat has no link with the starting point.<\/p>\n

The story borders on the recent\u00a0 dismissal of two appeals\u00a0 filed by the
\nPeoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State against the governorship
\ncandidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the April
\ngeneral elections, Dr. Alex Otti, and his party by the Court of Appeal,
\nsitting in Owerri, Imo State.<\/p>\n

It will be recalled that the appeals originated from a decision of the Abia
\nState Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Umuahia, to take
\nall the preliminary objections, filed by the litigants, along with the
\njudgment of the substantive petition.<\/p>\n

But dissatisfied with the tribunal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision, the party headed for the
\nCourt of Appeal, urging it to set aside the decision of the tribunal and
\ncompel it to deliver ruling on the pending motions.<\/p>\n

In one of the motions, PDP urged the tribunal to strike out Otti\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s petition
\non the grounds that it was not duly signed and that the necessary fees were
\nnot paid in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010, as
\namended.<\/p>\n

The multi- million question is “does the dismissal of the appeals dim
\nIkpeazu and PDP\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hope in the tribunal as suggested by the author of the
\nreport?<\/p>\n

A lawyer, Ugochukwu Amaraizu in his position maintained that the
\ndevelopment has no atom of effect on PDP\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s chances at the tribunal.<\/p>\n

In his words:”Why did PDP and IKPEAZU go to the Appeal Court in the first
\nplace? At what stage of the matter at the Tribunal did they go to Appeal?<\/p>\n

“It will be recalled that the said appeals were filed when the Tribunal,
\nafter hearing the Motions of all the parties including the Petitioners,
\ndecided to suspend its Ruling till the conclusion of evidence. The Tribunal
\nimmediately went into hearing by asking the Petitioners to open their case.
\nPDP and Ikpeazu quickly ran to Court of Appeal praying them to Order the
\nTribunal to deliver Rulings on those Motions.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Unfortunately, before the Appeal Court could deliver its judgment, even
\nIkpeazu, PDP and INEC equally opened and concluded their case. At that
\nstage, the purpose of heading to the Appeal Court was defeated. PDP
\nactually wanted the Appeal Court to order the Tribunal to deliver and
\nthereafter know whether it has jurisdiction to proceed into hearing or not.
\nBut the Tribunal already concluded hearing on the day the Court of Appeal
\ndelivered its first judgment. The Appeal Court relied on paragraph 12(5) of
\nthe 2nd Schedule to the Electoral Act to hold that the Tribunal was right
\nto suspend Ruling on those Motions till judgment.<\/p>\n

“The judgment of the Appeal Court did not tamper with the Motions already
\nheard at the Tribunal. The Court of Appeal did not make any comment on the
\npropriety and\/or otherwise of those Motions. It is the duty of the Tribunal
\nto deliver its Ruling on those Motions.<\/p>\n

“If the Appeal Court in its judgment had said that the Motions filed by PDP
\nand Ikpeazu challenging the jurisdiction of the Tribunal were not in order,
\nthat is where it would have affected the hope of PDP. And the Court of
\nAppeal could not have done that because those Motions were not before them.
\nThey were heard at the Tribunal.<\/p>\n

“Appeal Court judgment has nothing to do with the Motions and the judgment
\nof the Tribunal. It is after the Tribunal delivers its Rulings and\/or
\njudgment that any of the aggrieved parties may run back to the same Appeal
\nCourt to test whatever will be the final decision of the Tribunal. PDP’S
\nhope is still tight. They have nothing to fear at all, “Amaraizu explained.<\/p>\n

Balance in news reporting is as important as water is to man. But it was
\nobviously lacking in the report. There are always two sides to a coin, and
\nno oversight could have prompted the author not to capture PDP\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s side of
\nthe story.<\/p>\n

The newsman is expected to discharge high degree of honesty in his
\npresentation of news by according equal priority to a story dealing with
\nhis favourite (if there should be any) and his presumed enemy so to speak.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, news and propaganda are strange concepts. News is
\nsacrosanct because it deals with truth and nothing but the truth, but”
\npropaganda, according to Adams and Stratton” is the name given to any
\norganized attempt to influence your thinking or your actions “.<\/p>\n

The essence of that publication is to manipulate and influence the thinking
\nof Abians, especially the gullible population, nothing more, and nothing
\nless.<\/p>\n

Abians are not new to the propaganda efforts of Otti his APGA co-travelers,
\nusing some media hireling. It becomes worrisome when a reputable media
\norganization is dragged into this unholy arrangement.<\/p>\n

The public repose a lot of confidence and trust in the press and this
\nshould not be abused. Similarly, the media owe the public the duty to
\neducate them\u00a0 and educate them properly; and not deceiving them, as the
\nbits of information people gather from the press make them aware of the
\nworld around them and build their stock of incidental knowledge which
\nenhance their living.<\/p>\n

For Otti and his co-travelers, no level of propaganda has won any war
\nanywhere in the world.<\/p>\n

Ukegbu, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Umuahia, Abia State.
\nkeshiafrica@gmail.com<\/a>;keshiafrica@yahoo.com<\/a>;09052861355.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

William G. Mathor, a notable sociologist, once observed that the doctoring of news by newsmen is repugnant .The current trend in the country is similar to what obtained during the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42407,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n*The Nigerian media and ethical issues * - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/articles-opinions\/the-nigerian-media-and-ethical-issues\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"*The Nigerian media and ethical issues * - Pointblank News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"William G. 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