Media professionals at the recent Business, Economy and Financial Reporting Training for Journalists, organised by Premium Times Academy and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Abuja, called for journalists to focus on capacity building to deepen their skills and avoid unethical practices like accepting brown envelopes.
Mr. Idris Akinbajo, Managing Editor of Premium Times, highlighted ethics as a guide for making professional decisions and condemned the brown envelope culture as unethical, urging journalists to control themselves and invest in their skills instead. He noted many Nigerian journalists earn incomes surpassing permanent secretaries by building strong professional capacity and pitching stories to international bodies.
Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Musikilu Moheed, echoed the need for capacity building to enable reporters to gain significant income through research and specialized assignments, especially with elections approaching.
Dr. Nkiru Balonwu, founder of Africa Soft Power Group, stressed balanced storytelling and context in shaping national identity, while fact-checking expert Mr. David Ajikobi urged accuracy, verification, and constant self-questioning to maintain objectivity.
Participants committed to embracing ethical, fact-based journalism to enhance public trust and impact in Nigeria.
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