US Consulate commends Nigerian journalists for defending democracy

The United State Consulate, the Mission’s representative to the Nigerian people in the southern region, on Monday, commended the Nigerian media for playing the role of the fourth pillar of democracy which gives voice to citizens who have continued to engage government for sustainable and lasting change.

The Public Affairs Officer of the Mission in Lagos, Mr Stephen Ibelli, stated this during a post-election reporting workshop for journalists organised by Media Career Development Network (MCDN) and sponsored by United States Consulate in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The journalists, drawn from different media houses across the country, were trained on current trends in Media and Democratic Accountability, Reporting Conflicts, Journalism and Ethics and Professional Development.

Speaking further, Mr Ebelli said: “I have seen how media contributes to accountability and transparency in Nigeria. You play a major role in engendering good governance and this is not what can be done easily. Beyond informing the people, you should give citizens a voice and the tools they need to continue to engage the government for the sustainable and lasting change they desire.

“In America, the media is referred to as the fourth pillar of democracy. I must commend you for playing that role by protecting democracy because it cannot live in the dark. So this training is not only aimed at improving your reporting skills but to encourage you to report the local community in their states.”

Taking participating journalists through the dynamics of the Media and Democratic Accountability, Professor Lai Oso, said that in order to make the media an instrument that is used to help citizens exercise their power, journalists must be independent and autonomous.

Explaining the functions of the media, the professor of communication at the Lagos State University said that for the media achieve its objective the journalist must strive to ensure that they produce popular knowledge that would help citizens monitor and participate in governance.

He said “the media was carved out to monitor governance. The major responsibility of the media is to hold the government accountable. And to achieve this, journalists must engage in investigative journalism that brings attention to wrongdoing.”

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