Eagle Eye Watch News@17:Eliminate Quacks from journalism,Ejoh Tasks Journalists

By Glory U.C

*Says,Journalism is about results. It’s about affecting your community or your society in the most progressive way.

The Executive Director Eagle Eye News Media,Charles Ejoh, has called on journalists to be responsible, ethical and professional in the discharge of their duties as pressmen.

Ejoh, made the call in a statement to mark his organisation’s 17 years Anniversary in Jos ,Plateau State capital on Saturday.

Ejoh, decried irresponsible practice of journalism by quacks who use the tools of the journalist’s trade to deal in hate speech and fake news.

He called on journalists to assume responsibility by taking back their profession from quacks and the hacks, specifically the myriad of unregulated persons armed with internet-enabled devices who terrorise the media space.

“This ugly trends has placed lives and entire nations in a precaurios situation, orchestrated by the irresponsible practice of unprofessional journalism by so called media practitioners, or quacks who have impersonated professional journalists. The use of the tools of the journalist’s trade to deal in hate speech has caused harmful damages which ultimately has affected our socio-enonomic and political fabrics vis-a-vis our people.

“Fake news is wide spread today, whether it is rumour-mongering, dangerous innuendo, character assassination or other forms of inaccurate reportage. The problem is so endemic that statistics indicates that about 2 billion engagements with fake news on Facebook alone! Nigeria, like many countries, has fallen victim to it many times, sometimes with unprecedented loss of lives or properties.

“Media Practitioners must recognise that due to the incredible powers which society has entrusted to them, there is a corresponding demand for responsibility, ethics and professionalism in the exercise of those powers by journalists.

“An urgent need is therefore placed on the professional journalists to rise up to the clarion call when it comes to taking back their profession from the quacks and the hacks, specifically the myriad of unregulated persons armed with Internet-enabled devices who have invaded the media land space, especially on social media. These wicked persons wreck lives and reputations by simply endangering reputations of innocent citizens because someone gave them monies, or because they have real or imagined grouse against an individual or institutions.