Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday said that the highest task and most pressing ambition of the Nigerian media are to safeguard the current democracy in the country.


According to the Nation, Gbajabiamila said this while speaking at a one day capacity building workshop for members of the House Press Corp, the Speaker described democracy as fragile construct which depend on the support of the electorates and requires the active participation of an informed citizenry.
Gbajabiamila noted that if media fail to protect the current democracy and it fails, “nothing else will matter, nothing else we do will count in our favour when the tally of history is settled. We have it in our power to improve our nation’s future and leave this world better than we found it. So, let us do that, and let us do it together.”
The speaker said that democracy also requires careful tending and robust defence, adding: “The role of the press in a democracy is multi-faceted. You inform the public and you educate them about the law and government, politics and governance. You record history as it happens and preserve the national memory as a guide and warning for the future.
“Through the years, technological advances, the rapid increase in access to internet services, and the growth of social media has changed the way we receive and interact with news and information.
“What we understand as the professional press – newspapers and magazines, television and radio – are now in competition with every member of the public with a smartphone, access to the internet and the inclination to participate in the public discourse.
“While the landscape within which the press operates has changed in dramatic ways, the duties of the press and the public expectation of them remains the same.
“We expect journalists and media organisations to maintain a high level of professional conduct; we demand accurate reporting and detailed analysis of public policy and expect the media to continue to defend citizens’ rights, hold the powerful to account and promote the public good through the honourable practice of journalism.


“Often lost in the conversation is the fact that after all is said and done, media is a business. Quality journalism doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it requires resources to train and equip staff, and invest in technology to improve content quality and broadcast capabilities, amongst other things.
“For generations, these resources have come from the sales of newspapers and magazines and from advertising and subscriptions. For the last two decades, the proliferation of online sources has decimated sales and precipitated a drastic and rapid decline in advertising income.”