NUJ, NIPR Collaborate To Checkmate Quackery In Journalism, Public Relations Practice
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) have agreed to collaborate to check quacks in the media profession with a view to promote professionalism.
The two professional bodies reached a consensus on this on Wednesday when the President of the NIPR Mr. Mukhtar Sirajo led other members of his executive committee on a visit to the National Secretariat of the NUJ where they were received by the NUJ President, Comrade Chris Isiguzo and some members of his executive.
Towards this end, the NUJ President, Comrade Chris Isiguzo said that the Union and other professional bodies in the media industry are working on a framework on media practice to boost and enhance other laws that did not clearly defined and give an understanding of journalism practice in the country.
Isiguzo pointedly said that the media cannot continue to pander to the whims and caprices of political actors, whose mission and interest most of the times is not nationalistic but merely tailored to serve personal interest.
The NUJ President noted that while the Union has been fighting the incidences of fake news and quacks in the Journalism profession through its State Councils by putting in place mechanisms for checking quackery in the profession in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said it is equally important that the two professional bodies in the media industry should come together to reduce quackery to the barest minimum.
Isiguzo noted that even though every professional group has its fair share of quacks, professionals in the media industry that are shaping and setting agenda must ensure that only qualified professionals are allowed to practice.
In the words of Isiguzo; “It is sad and regrettable that people who do not have anything to do with the media are being appointed into media-related positions and organisations. This has allowed all sorts of character to assume that they know journalism and most often times, such people tend to bring shame and bad name to the profession.
“We have started taking steps to address these anomalies. The NUJ, Nigeria Guild of Editors and the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria have really formed a very strong partnership and we are working to bring on Board the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).
“I think the NIPR should equally join us so that it would be a collective effort, and all of us speaking with one voice and in one language. At our own level at the NUJ, we are still working on coming up with something that can work for us to enable us regulate ourselves to a very large extent.
“We are also working on the Journalism Enhancement Bill, which if passed into law would enable us check the activities of quacks and social media operators who spread FAKE news,” the NUJ President said.
Speaking in turn, the NIPR President, Mr. Mukhtar said that the NIPR and the NUJ more than ever before need to come together especially at this point in time in the history of the country when things need to improve and work better for the country.
Sirajo expressed concern over people that parade themselves as perception managers, media gurus among others but who are quacks, stressing that the NIPR would soon publish the names of quacks that are parading themselves as professional Public Relations practitioners.
According to him; “For a long while the NIPR has been on a single minded mission to ensure that professionalism takes root in the media and public relations sectors.
“We are here to see how we can partner with NUJ to see how we can weed out quacks in these two professions and also enhance adherence to the code of ethics and professionalism. I want to appreciate the NUJ on tackling quackery, but however, we need to do more and give our professions the golden place they deserved”.
