By Etimbuk Ette

Media practitioners have been urged to hold fast to the tenet of best practice which is anchored on truth, accuracy, fairness and social responsibility. The Director General of Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation, Pastor Praise Okon gave the charge at the 2009 World Press Freedom Day and Head of Civil Service NUJ annual lecture held at the NUJ press centre, Uyo. Speaking on the theme, “The Press: Challenges and Prospects in a Democratic Governance in Nigeria”, the AKBC boss posited that upholding the Professional ethics of journalism is to ensure some measures of overcoming the challenges faced by practitioners.
While describing the press as an arena for interaction between the government and its citizens, pastor Okon envisaged that the mass media were faced with enormous challenges including the freedom to perform their function without intimidation and fear of molestation, delay in enactment of freedom of information law as well as news commercialization. He used the occasion to warn journalists not to indulge in using the media as agents of distraction to the unity plan of government but should rather consider the general interest of the society before coming out with any publication. He further stressed the need for journalists to train themselves in computer appreciation in order to meet the demands of the information technology age.
The Director General expressed appreciation to the state governor for the practical steps he has taken to reposition media organizations in the state so as to enhance high quality services. Declaring the event open, the Head of Civil Service, Elder (Mrs.) Grace Anwana noted that she was proud to be a partner with the pen professionals and thanked the Nigeria Union of Journalists for projecting the activities of the present administration. Represented by the Director of Administration in her office, Mr. Ime Okposin, the Head of Service emphasized that free press is sine-qua-non for the sustenance of the nascent democracy and advised journalists to see theirs as a moral and social duty to consider the consequence of what they write or publish.
She disclosed that the present administration will continue to give priority attention to the promotion of workers' welfare, pointing out that the choice of the theme was quite appropriate in today's dispensation.
In his opening remarks the chairman of the occasion and the chairman Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Unyime Usoro stated that the issue of press freedom is cardinal to the operation of the labour movement.
The NLC boss said that there can be no democracy without the freedom of the press and urged journalists to aspire to the top.