Federal Govt Committed To Safety Of Journalists – Lai Mohammed

The Minister Of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has stressed the need to ensure the safety of journalists and equip them for the dynamic and ever-changing technologies.

He said there is no doubt that the sanctity of professionalism in the media industry in the past few years has been threatened by the malevolent use of technology to distort and even subvert pure journalistic efforts.

In his address during the occasion of the Institutional Interaction/Workshop to celebrate the 2022 World Press Freedom Day in Abuja yesterday, the minister called on all journalists to join hands with us to checkmate the activities of quacks, who are tarnishing the profession.

Represented by the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, he said the media had nothing to fear from the federal government because they see media practitioners as partners in progress, rather than adversaries.

He said, ‘’We must know that the tangible cord that links the source and the receiver, or in this case the reporter and the audience, is the truth which, in this context, means timely and undistorted information disseminated in good faith and with the general intent of improving society.

“Just this past Tuesday, I was at a UNESCO event organised for Judges on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Judges. I reiterated the huge pain I feel when I hear of journalists being attacked or slain in the line of duty.

I, therefore, urged our Lordships to ensure swift judgement for those found guilty of these heinous acts, so that the family and friends of the deceased can take solace in the fact that justice had been duly served.”

He assured that the federal government would not relent in its effort to ensure that media practitioners are in tune with global best practices in their field.