By Joy Mbachi
Awka – Dr Nkem Okeke, Anambra Deputy Governor on Monday, called on the media to avoid using misleading captions in their reports that could create tension at first glance.
Okeke made the call in Awka, while declaring opened the 2016 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra council.
He said that journalists in the discharge of their duties, should be mindful of captions that could insult the sensibility of readers including breeding bad blood at first instance, but should be conscious of its captions to avoid raising violence reaction unintended.
Okeke said that journalists are assumed to be teachers to the teacher and non teachers and as such should be very careful in their choice of words while making undiluted true reports without bias or intent to favour any class of the society but to state the facts as they are or seen.
He advised practitioners to know that they owe the society the duty of unbiased reportage and should live above board and be ready to be accountable for any report given at any time.
Okeke assured of government’s commitment to protect the interest of journalists in the state, and urge journalists to report the activities of the state adequately to correct any false reportage on social media as true watchdog of the society.