Media practitioners have been charged to be professional and maintain neutrality in the forth coming general elections.

The Director-general, National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Balarabe Shehu ilelah made the call while declaring open a sensitization forum on political broadcasting organized by the Commission for media owners and practitioners, political reporters, NGOs and all relevant stakeholders at the Nigerian Air force conference center in Abuja.

Ilelah said the sensitization forum became necessary in view of the commencement of campaigns by political parties in the week and the need to maintain neutrality by the stakeholders.

He called on all media organizations and platforms especially the broadcast media and state owned outfits to give all political actors and parties equal opportunities to air their views and campaigns within the confines of the law.

Guest speaker of the occasion, a professor of Mass Communication, Professor Ifeoma Duru who spoke on the topic; “disinformation and misinformation during elections, a multi stakeholder’s responsibility”, said the meaning of both words are not the same, as being used interchangeably in some quarters.

Professor Duru said that disinformation is a deliberate dissemination of false story/news to mislead the society while misinformation is the dissemination also of false story or news but not intentional.

In his Goodwill message to the occasion, the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, professor Mahmud Yakubu described the media as a critical stakeholder in the electioneering process and the need for it to operate within the stipulated laws, regulations and provisions of the Commission.While stressing the need for issue based campaigns by political parties devoid of hate speeches, professor Yakubu said that ninety-five percent of the amended electoral act clearly defines the responsibilities of political parties, candidates, the media and public institutions.

Also speaking, the president, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, comrade Chris Isiguzo whose message was centered on the safety of Media practitioners called on security agencies to see journalist as partners in progress and give them adequate protection on the field.

The multi stakeholders dialogue Programme was organized by the NBC with the theme; towards a fair and responsible broadcast coverage of the twenty, twenty-three general elections.