Put National Interest First In Your Reportage, Security Experts Charge Media Practitioners

Media practitioners in Nigeria have been charged to always consider national interest in their reportage in order not to portray the country in bad light before the world.
They were also enjoined to always liaise with spokespersons of relevant security agencies for objectivity of their stories.
The experts made the appeal  in Wednesday at a one-day capacity building workshop, tagged ” Security Reporting For Media Practitioners”,organized by Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Onikan Lagos in conjunction with the National Association of Online Security News Publishers ( NAOSNP) at the Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi, Lagos 
Speaking at the occasion, the Assistant Director Army Public Relations, 9 Bridgade Nigeria Army Major Augustine Bello noted that most media practitioners have form the habit of being sensational and tarnishing the image with their reportage. He asserted that media practitioners should be more investigative and objective rather than reporting just from the surface.
” There are more to investigative journalism, act more, go deep before you write any story to unearthed the truth. Wrong information has been the cause of many problems in the country.
You do we keep tarnishing the image of the country? The way we keep tarnishing the image of our country is how they will treat us outside the country. Media practitioners must be professional in the discharge of their duties and be proactive”, the 9 Bridgade spokeperson submitted. Also speaking at the event, the public relations officer, Lagos Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ASCI Oluwaseun Abolurun posited that security reporting is about metrics and dynamism and wondered how many practitioners have such knowledge.
Abolurun added that the security agencies would not be reported in bad light if public relations officers are proactive and live to their responsibilities.
The NSCDC image maker however cautioned against fake and bad news, warning that the purveyor of bad news will definitely be punished for such act by God.
His words, ” The status of the bad news you report will definitely be judged by your maker, the good news you turn to bad news in order to generate traffic to your website will be judged. So you must be objective in your reportage and not the glamour.
Do remember that if you Nigeria burns, all of us can not remain here. What we need more is collaboration and cooperation for the greater good of Nigeria”,  Abolurun posited.
In his contribution, the Managing Director/ CEO Baddinson Security Company Me. Matthew Ibadin charged journalists to engage politicians on critical issues on how to ensure good governance rather than painting Nigeria in bad image to the outside world.
He implored media practitioners to put national security into consideration in their reportage, warning that negative stories about the country will prevent foreign investors from coming to the country.
” We don’t have any other country. If there is tension here, we would have to bombard neighbouring countries that also have there own challenges. National security must come  be considered first in our reportage, we shouldn’t send away investors because we want to sell our papers or generate huge traffic on our websites. Use your reportage to promote the good image of the country.
In his contribution, the Lagos Bureau Chief New Nigerian Newspaper, Mr Raymond Tedunjaye reminded the audience the Nigeria media played a major role in the return of democracy to the country while the practitioners remained unrecognized.
Pointing out that the Nigeria media has always been gagged by the government, Tedunjaye recalled the death of the publisher of Newswatch Mr. Dele Giwa, Mr. Bagaulda Kaltho of the News Magazine and the imprisonment of Agba Jalingo by agents of government simply for performing their constitutional duties as provided by section 22 of the 1999 Constitution.
I’m his welcome address, National President of NAOSNP Samson Oki noted that reporting security issues is a critical aspect of journalism that required tutorial and patriotism.
He pointed out that the workshop to help media practitioners in the security sector sharpen their skill in the act of security reporting.