She made the remarks during an appearance on the online interview show, 90MinutesAfrica, hosted by Rudolf Okonkwo on Sunday.
Voice of the People TV anchor Precious Enyi has decried the rising difficulties in journalism practice due to the open-ended provisions in the regulatory codes.
She made the remarks during an appearance on the online interview show, 90MinutesAfrica, hosted by Rudolf Okonkwo on Sunday.
“The state of the media is worrisome. If you look at the codes that regulate media practice in Nigeria, you will find out that you seem to be given the freedom to express yourself, but at the same time, you don’t have that freedom. That is what we worry most about,” the journalist said.
The station manager at Voice of the People TV stated that broadcast journalists in Nigeria are over-regulated.
She further explained that the regulatory guidelines for journalists even stipulate what they can wear and how they speak. Miss Enyi emphasized that the most challenging part is the way the regulatory codes limit the expressive license of journalists, especially broadcasters, in such a way that the government can use virtually any statement as an infraction against a media organization.
“Another section of the NBC code stipulated that a broadcaster must ensure that its presenter/anchor of any programme, especially phone-in programmes shall handle it with professionalism and sound judgment to ensure that it does not lose focus or lead to unfair treatment of any person or institution,” the journalist said. “So when people will call in a phone-in programme and say, for example, APC has ruined Nigeria, the government can decide that you have infringed on this part of the broadcasting code.”
She said these challenges make the work of journalists very difficult as they would have to walk on eggshells practically.