Ajibade, a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, made this appeal at the Ogun State NUJ Annual Ramadan Lecture, held at the Olusegun Osoba Hall, Iwe Iroyin, Abeokuta, with the theme: “The Role of Media in Promoting Interfaith Understanding and Peaceful Coexistence”.
He emphasized that the media has a sacred responsibility to serve as a custodian of national consciousness, urging journalists to shun stories that may ignite disunity or promote violence among people of different faiths.
“We have reflected on how the media can build or divide,” Ajibade said, stressing the need for “ethical journalism, compassion, and truthfulness” to stabilize communities.
He added, “Journalists are not just reporters, they are architects of perception and guardians of social harmony.”
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, also emphasized the importance of objective and accurate reporting, saying journalists must avoid sensationalism and writings that can trigger religious violence.
He said the council had identified the strategic role of the media and had decided to put the programme together to further enlighten members and others in society and to promote religious harmony.
Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, representing Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, represented by Alhaji Zakariyah Ajao, urged media professionals to adhere to ethical journalism principles.
The event was attended by a representative of the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade James Sowole, Coordinator of the Muslim Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Ogun State, Comrade Daud Olatunji, the Acting Coordinator of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, Ogun State, Comrade Oluwatoyin Adegoke, representative of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Comrade Yinka Folarin, senior journalists from different chapels in the state, and community leaders, who echoed the call for responsible journalism in promoting peace and unity in Nigeria.
