Chairman, Editorial Board of The Nation, Mr. Sam Omatseye has urged journalism and mass communication students to uphold integrity and professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
Omatseye spoke while delivering the first Distinguished Guest Lecture of the School of Communication of the Lagos State University (LASUSOC) yesterday.
The lecture, held at the university’s Surulere campus, was themed: “The Legal and Ethical Perspectives of the media coverage of the 2015 general election”.
Omatseye condemned the spate of hate advertisements during the campaigns and called on necessary institutions to rise to their tasks of censorship for ethical purposes.
He referred to the seeming quietness of the many media outlets about the fall out of the last administration, especially on the missing Chibok girls and commended the few who stood out through commentaries, analysis and editorials.
The award-winning writer, poet and author told the students to be careful when upholding their integrity, while seeking to be objective.
“I have not for one day believed that there is anything called objectivity. If a person has stolen and it’s proven, why should I be looking for his own opinion? We must seek genuine posterity of the media,” he said.
Omatseye, who is also a member of the governing council of LASU, advised aspiring journalists to pay attention to details and verify facts to avoid deception in the sensitive profession.
“The reporter has to decide anytime he or she is trapped in the house, to make a decision that will not set the house on fire.”
Dean of SOC, Associate Prof Durotimi Williams Olatunji, who described Omatseye as a worthy role model for his students said the lecture series was inaugurated to make students see people’s achievements and strive to surpass them.