Affairs, Mr. Bolaji Kayode Robert has charged the community media practitioners to ensure that mesasages they always deliver to the public remains accurate and factual.
Robert gave the advice during a courtesy visit to the Ministry by a team from the Association of Practitioners Community Media in Nigeria (APCON), recently.
He explained that information being disseminated by community media practitioners should be objective and based on grounded evidence, saying “As community media practitioners you are expected to be the voice of your community, to interface between your community, the Local Government/Council Development Areas and the Lagos State Government in ensuring effective dissemination of information to every part of the State, as the majority of our grassroots communities are not adequately informed on most of the major programmes and policies of this administration”.
Robert reiterated that the interface created by community media between the Government and its citizenry would bridge the information gap and project the present administration’s achievements, especially as it prepares for another four years of Greater Lagos.
Commending community media practitioners for their positive reportage of all the programmes and activities of the administration of Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu across all the nooks and crannies of the State in the past four years as well as their continuous ally with Lagos State Government since 1999, he urged them to familiarise themselves with Local Government Chairmen, Councillors and Community Development Associations so as to ensure seamless, effective and efficient information dissemination at the grassroots.
However, the APCOM National President, Abayomi Adejumo appreciated the warm welcome accorded them, adding that the gesture by the Ministry is a sign of an effective communication window between the government and its communities.
Abayomi pleaded with the Special Adviser to continue the excellent work of involving community media practitioners in the State Governance as the collaboration would engender good reportage.
The high point of the visit was the presentation of an award of Special Recognition for Outstanding Performance to the Special Adviser by the National President.