Editors hold self-scrutiny meeting tomorrow in Kano

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has slated its town hall meeting for the North West geo-political zone for tomorrow (Wednesday) in Kano.

The guild, late last year, announced plans to hold town hall meetings across the six geo-political zones, kicking off the event in the South West zone in November, last year, in Lagos.

With a theme: “Agenda Setting for Sustainable Democratic Culture,” the main objective of the meeting, which is being supported by the United States (US) Embassy in Nigeria, is to assess the media performance in consolidating Nigeria’s democracy – citizens’ verdict and outlining media agenda for the future.

In a statement by its President, Mustapha Isah and General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, yesterday, the professional body of all the editors in Nigeria, said the meeting would provide a platform for stakeholders to remind editors and other managers of the sacred duties they are tasked to perform by the Constitution on behalf of the citizens.

Drawing instances from democracies around the world, the statement observed: “The town hall meeting will provide a platform for media stakeholders to undertake self-scrutiny and also begin a robust conversation on a framework for media regulation, which will not only have their buy-in, but also advance the standard for media practice in Nigeria, thereby reducing, if not eliminate, incidents of sub-standard and unprofessional reportage in the Nigerian media.

“Such robust conversations and hopefully, eventual adoption of self-regulatory framework could also have a regional spin-off whereby countries within the region, and indeed Africa, could be encouraged to borrow a leaf from the Nigerian example, as was the case with the adoption of a Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria, subsequently having a positive spin-off in Ghana,” the NGE added.  

Those invited to the meeting, which will be followed by a two-day capacity building for 50 editors in the zone, are the Emir of Kano, traditional/religious leaders, leading pro-democracy/human rights activists in the region, renowned scholars from the academic community, pro-media rights groups, students from different higher institutions, faith groups and the media.