Urges Media to set agenda for sustainable democratic culture
The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors NGE, Mustapha Isah has called on the Media to properly define its role by setting an agenda that would lead to sustainable democratc culture in the country.
Isah who made the call on Wednesday at a Town Hall Meeting of Editors from the North West zone in Kano with the Theme” Agenda Setting for Sustainable Development ,said it is second in the series under the the NGE/ US Embassy capacity building programme for Editors.
The Guild President stressed the importance of the Media in shaping opinion, attitude and perceptions towards a sustainable democratic culture adding it was wrong to allow politicians the space to set agenda for the media.
He said while the issues dominating political circles currently are zoning,power rotation and religious sentiments , the Media had the power to delineate its agenda that fosters good governance especially as the 2023 general elections draw closer
This,he said, could be achieved by holding the government accountable to the people.
” What is currently dominating headlines in the media on the 2023 general elections is zoning,power rotation,as well as religious and ethnic sentiments. This is the agenda of the politicians. Must the Media allow these politicians to set the agenda for us?I think it should be the opposite.
“As the politicians talk about zoning we,I mean the media, should remind them that we are more interested in the issue of development, education,I security, Youth unemployment and poverty ravaging the nation and other issues affecting the common man”.
Taking excerpts from American reseachers, Maxwell McCombs and Donaki Shaw and Stanley Baran on the media playing an important role in shaping political reality, Isah expressed optimism on the capacity of the Nigerian Media for the role ahead.
He thanked the US Embassy for making the event a reality and commended Editors for their support.
Dignitaries who attended the programme included the Emir of Kano His Royal Higness, Aminu Ado Bayero,
