2015 election campaigns damaging broadcast industry’s integrity – NBC

Stakeholders in the Nigerian broadcasting industry have decried the trend of political campaigns in the country, noting that the campaigns for the 2015 general elections were impinging on the integrity of broadcast stations.

The stakeholders made up of over 270 participants including chief executives of broadcast stations across the country, the academia, broadcast veterans, and staff of the National Broadcasting Commission met in Abuja on Tuesday under the aegis of the NBC.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, stakeholders said a lot of damage had been done to the integrity of broadcasting by the recent conduct of broadcast stations in political broadcasts.

They also complained that excessive speculations and rumours in coverage and reportage were causing fear in the country.

According to them, the campaigns are lacking in issue based political discourse and concentrated on attacks on personalities rather than scrutiny of the tract records of candidates in relation to their campaign promises viz-a-viz previous records.

Other anomalies noted in the campaigns included denial of access to opposition by broadcast stations, misinformation that have severe consequences on national security and broadcasters acting as judges or advocates for politicians.

Resolutions reached at the meeting read, “The conduct of each broadcaster must be in public interest. Political adverts must be backed by Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria approval. The media should do more of investigative journalism to dig into the antecedents of the candidates.

“The media should  condemn hate speeches, physical and verbal attacks, defacing and tearing of posters and billboards  of opposition, denial of access to some candidates or parties; harassment and intimidation, kidnapping and assassinations; fraudulent procurement of court injunctions, and use of thugs.

“Stations should engage in more professional engagements with politicians, civil society organisations, institutions and agencies involved with elections. The NBC must engage in careful and informed monitoring of the process to ensure that the conduct of each broadcaster is in public interest.”