… Harps On Importance Of Information Gatekeeping
Lagos State Government on Friday, charged community media practitioners to be objective with their roles as information gatekeepers when disseminating news to the citizens at the grassroots.
The SSA to the Governor on Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Babatunde Durojaiye gave the charge while delivering his keynote address during an interactive session with community media practitioners at the State Secretariat.
Durojaiye reiterated that the interactive session is targeted towards equipping Community Media Practitioners with requisite knowledge on grassroots information dissemination that will foster goodwill for the present administration, especially in projecting the policies, programmes and achievements of the Sanwo-Olu led Government, implemented through the T.H.E.M.E.S. Plus Agenda.
He harped on the crucial role community media practitioners play in ensuring that the masses are properly informed on the programmes and policies of the Government and how they can benefit from it. This, he said, is the major gatekeeping role that community media practitioners should perform.
He added that the role of the community media practitioners is crucial in shaping the mindset of the people about their government, hence the need for them to always ensure that the publics are exposed to the numerous projects and policies being executed by the Government both in rural and urban areas, and should also ensure that Government is made aware of the plights and needs of the people.
He further stressed that the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has continued to invest into critical infrastructure needed in communities across the State and has also been providing grants and loans targeted majorly to rural dwellers who are into small and medium scale businesses in their communities.
“This is why it behoves on you as community media practitioners, who are information gatekeepers between the Government and the people at the grassroots to ensure policies and programmes of the Government that would benefit the people at the grassroots are properly disseminated to them, while also serving as a feedback medium for the Government”, he said.
Similarly, the Assistant Director, Public Affairs in the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development; Mr. Kehinde Adebayo, while delivering his welcome address, thanked Mr Governor for approving the Interactive Session.
He stated that the initiative affords the Ministry the opportunity to have periodic interface with Community Media Practitioners, thereby creating a platform where they can be properly informed on the numerous projects the administration of Mr. Governor has executed across the State.
Adebayo also stressed the integral role community media practitioners play in a State like Lagos, adding that the role of an information gatekeeper is a privileged role that must be performed with integrity.
“While performing this role, we must ensure we are transparent about our biases and conflicts of interest, and ensure we do not use it to paint Government in a bad light or create agitations in our Communities. As an unbiased Gatekeeper, we need to be accountable to our communities, as well as the Government by ensuring we amplify the voices of those who need to be heard and douse the voices that can cause anarchy in the society”, he said.
Publisher of the Lead Lagos Community Newspaper in Amuwo-Odofin, Adejumo Abayomi, while speaking on behalf of the participants, applauded the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for the continued inclusion of Community Media in information dissemination channels of the State.
He assured that Community Media Practitioners would continue to project the policies, programmes and the achievements of this administration across the 57 LG/LCDAs of the State.
The interactive session which is the third of its kind since the inception of the administration of Mr. Governor was well attended by seasoned facilitators and community media practitioners across the State.
