THE Jigawa State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has inaugurated its pioneer Online Media Chapel and sworn in the chapel’s executive members during a ceremony held at the NUJ Press Centre in Dutse.
News Point Nigeria reports that the inauguration featured goodwill messages from the NUJ leadership and the swearing-in of the newly elected executives, with the National President of the union, Comrade Alhassan Yahaya, highlighting the growing importance of digital journalism in Nigeria’s democratic development.
In a message delivered at the inaugural ceremony, the NUJ National President said the emergence of digital online media journalism has become an indispensable platform for the immediate dissemination of news and public enlightenment, particularly in a democratic dispensation where issues of public interest are paramount.
Yahaya noted that online media journalism is more cost-effective than conventional print and electronic media practice because it offers multimedia storytelling through text, photographs, audio and video, while also allowing audiences to interact with reports by making comments.
Represented by the NUJ National Trustee and former Kano State Chairman of the union, Comrade Abbas Ibrahim, the NUJ President, however, cautioned that the speed with which online media organisations publish stories in a bid to break news could sometimes lead to misinformation, fake news, sensationalism and exposure to cyber threats.
He urged members of the newly inaugurated Online Media Chapel to remain ambassadors of truth by upholding the NUJ Code of Ethics, verifying information before publication, respecting the dignity and privacy of individuals, avoiding hate speech, and ensuring that fairness, balance, accuracy and objectivity remain the guiding principles of their professional practice.
Yahaya also assured members that the NUJ National Secretariat would continue to support and strengthen online journalism through regular training programmes, mentorship and ethical guidance aimed at making practitioners globally competitive.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Jigawa State Council of the NUJ, Comrade Ismail Ibrahim Dutse, described the formal inauguration of the Online Media Chapel as a significant milestone, saying the council had now fully embraced global digital journalism.
He commended the Jigawa State Government, through the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Malam Hamisu Gumel, for paying more than ₦600,000 to cover the registration requirement fees for the minimum 25 members required to establish a chapel under the provisions of the NUJ Constitution.
Speaking after taking the oath of office, the pioneer Chairman of the Online Media Chapel, Comrade Sani Labaran, pledged that members would uphold ethical standards and practise credible journalism in the discharge of their professional responsibilities.
Other executive members sworn into office include Bilyaminu Idris as Vice Chairman, Aliyu Dangida as Secretary, Muhd Osamah Sulaiman as Assistant Secretary, Umar Majeri as Treasurer, Hassan Turaki as Financial Secretary, and Inuwa Ali as Auditor.
