Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Reverend Callistus Onaga, has charged media practitioners in the country to ensure truth, objectivity and thoroughness in their reportage.
Onaga said this in his homily at the Holy Ghost Cathedral Enugu as part of activities to mark the 59th World Communication Day.
Speaking on the theme, “Share with gentleness the hope that is in your heart,” the clergy reminded media practitioners that they are agents of communications and should be diplomatic and sensitive in sharing certain information to the people, especially on sensitive issues.
“You are agents of Communication; you can make and unmake the world.
“I invite you to be communicators of hope; communication invokes reactions.
“Do not create falsehood if you are communicating just to make money you are not giving people hope.
“Let us give people hope with what we say,” he said.
According to him, some media channels were there to create confusion.
”Let us douse tension by telling the people to be calm about what is happening.
“Use your pen to construct, not to destroy,” Onaga said.
He advised people to always be objective and try to rescue people in difficult or helpless situations like accident, rather than taking pictures or recording videos to create contents to get traffic.
He said that media practitioners should first rescue the person or persons and save life.
“Please, do not post to create contents, do not post lies, seek to restore life, and not to make money.
“If you can destroy people with your words, then your communication is in vain.
“Communicate truth in such a way that people can swallow truth with a bit of ease,” he advised.
He encouraged the media to advance hope through dialogue.
The Bishop said that as the watchdog of the society, media practitioners should execute their jobs with gentleness, objectivity, kindness and love to bring peace and hope to the people.
Speaking, the Director of Communications, Enugu Catholic Diocese, Rev Anthony Aneke, urged media practitioners to use communication for peace.
According to him, communications should be sharing hope, kindness, and peace.
Fr. Aneke explained that the 2025 World Communications Day challenges media practitioners to consider how they could turn communications to hope, using media for gentleness.
He thanked Bishop Onaga for his support to the media especially for sponsoring the event.
The Vice Chancellor, Enugu State University of Science and Technology ( ESUT,) Professor, Alloysius Okolie, urged media practitioners to be objective, practice investigative journalism, to give people hope, peace and to shape the world positively.
