President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday asserted that good journalism cannot be divorced from good governance and urged journalists in the country to use their profession to advance the course of governance .
He spoke at the opening of the 67th World Congress of International Press Institute which took place at the conference centre of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Agreeing with the theme of the gathering: “Why Good Journalism Matters,” President Buhari declared that the changing media landscape coupled with the social media explosion in addition to rapidly growing technology had made the choice of the theme apt and timely.
He said: “The changing media landscape, the explosion of the social media and the rapidly evolving new technology have had a profound impact on media business and media practice. It is satisfying, therefore, that you have chosen an appropriate theme for your conference: Why Good Journalism Matters: Quality Media for Strong Societies.
“In a world where the borderline between hate speech and free speech has become blurred, good journalism matters. In an environment where fake news dwarfs investigative reporting, Good Journalism Matters. For survival in an increasingly competitive field, Good Journalism Matters. Good journalism promotes Good Governance. I, therefore, urge participants to give depth to the topic in your discussions and conclusions.”
President Buhari commended the journalists who gathered from different parts of the world for making Nigeria a choice for the hosting of their annual congress in this period of global terrorism.
He noted that the choice of the country as the host was a reflection of their confidence that Nigeria was a safe place.
His words: “Your annual congress is holding in Nigeria during a period of global terrorism. Nigeria experiences that scourge through Boko Haram, which has been technically degraded and has no territorial hold anywhere, anymore, in its northeast operational base. The Internally Displaced Persons are gradually returning to their communities in reasonable safety and security.
“It is a reflection of your assessment of Nigeria as a safe country that you gave the country the hosting right for this conference. As you have seen since your arrival, you made a wise and right choice.”
In her remarks, IPI Executive Director, Barbara Triinfi noted that independent journalism was under threat in many parts of the world, while press freedom had eroded with the incessant attacks on journalists.
She said: “As we gather here today from different countries to open IPI’s 67th World Congress, there is a sense that independent journalism is under attack and press freedom has eroded all over the world. From Mexico to the Philippines, from Zimbabwe to Turkey, from Russia to Ethiopia, journalists are being imprisoned. They are denied access to justice. They are threatened and insulted on social media. They are directly targeted and labeled as traitors and enemies of the state and they are killed, shot in front of their houses, on their way to work, by killers who know that murdering journalists is the easiest way to silence them and ensure that the stories of corruption they were investigating, the wrongdoings they had uncovered will never be revealed.
“At least 43 journalists have been killed so far in 2018 in places like Afghanistan, Mexico, India, Pakistan or the Philippines to mention a few.
“Also here in Nigeria, a country with a very lively news industry which enjoys a good degree of press freedom, safety has been a serious problem for journalists, not only those covering the areas where insurgents are active but also journalists covering corruption have been targeted.”
