2023: Ngwakwe calls on politicians to treat journalists with respect
A frontline Journalist in Gombe State, Chief Ben Ngwakwe, has called on politicians in the country to treat Journalists as responsible men, instead of giving them errand status as the 2023 general election approaches.
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The Gombe based-Journalist made the assertion during an interactive session with the liberty International TV and Gombe Media Corporation, GMC in Gombe on Monday, which was monitored by our correspondent.
According to him, Politicians should note that they are not watchdogs unlike journalists with such classified responsibility.
He equally cautioned Journalists to ensure that they give politicians fair hearing, balancing and objectivity in their reportage to avoid unnecessary harassment and embarrassment often suffered by Journalists in their line of duties.
The Pioneer Journalist in the state who has garnered over 30 years of hardcore experience in the media, added that the case has changed in journalism due to politicisation, neglect of the ethics and code of the profession.
Ngwakwe said, “unfortunately the case has changed because some of the Journalists are Political Journalists. Politicians are to treat Journalists as responsible men and women as well as bear in minds that Journalists are the watchdog of the society which politicians are not.”
He also expressed worry over the lack of training and retraining of Journalists’ in Gombe state in order to be in line with dynamics of global journalism.
“Journalists should ensure they give politicians fair hearing and ensure objectivity in their reportage. If all these are done in the discharge of their duties they don’t won’t have problem,” Ngwakwe added.
