By Bartholomew Madukwe

Former Director, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Chief Dayo Duyile, has called on journalists to give female politicians equal coverage as their male counterparts.

Speaking at the one-day leadership seminar for news and political editors in Ogun State, Duyile noted that female politicians received 5.73% of the total space used in publishing reports on male politicians.
In his words: “Female politicians were far behind their male counterparts in media coverage. For example, newspapers devoted to women politicians just 5.73% of the total space used in publishing political reports.

“If we draw the graph, we will see that it is unfair. People will say, when will women be governors? They can never be governors! Unethically, we are downgrading women’s position in politics.”
Duyile said a section of the media today are corrupt because many young journalists got into the profession solely for wealth.

”The success of democratic governance lies in the hands of media men and women. Hence, journalists covering these beats should first of all be ethical in their practice so as to deliver untainted, unbiased news to their recipients.”

The event, entitled “Deepening Nigeria’s Democracy, 2015 and Political Reporting: The Role of Editors”, was organised by the Political Academy, POLA, and had the former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, take  journalists on a tour of the academy’s library.

Former president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and Editor-in-Chief/GM Publications of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, urged journalists to make good use of Section 22 of the Constitution that guarantees freedom of the press.

He also advised journalists to protect their integrity and ethics of the profession by not seeking “brown envelope” and publish the truth from all sides and in good conscience.