The Cross River Government has urged journalists in the state to always uphold truth and fairness in their reportage to avoid misinformation.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Erasmus Ekpang, made the call at an event to mark the 2024 World Press Freedom Day in Calabar on Friday.
Ekpang said that a proactive press remained the bedrock of any democratic society, and that effective information dissemination was critical to societal growth.
”A well-informed citizenry is always equipped to meaningfully engage in political and socio-economic discourses,” he said.
The commissioner said that the state government was committed to promoting press freedom in order to ensure a free market place of ideas.
”As we emphasise factual, accurate and credible reportage, it is important to also cling to the ethics of the profession.
”As a government, we support the existence of a free and independent press,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Gil Nsa, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, called for stronger synergy between journalists and the state government.
He urged the journalists to use their reports to promote development by making inputs that would enable the government to perform better.
Mr Linus Obogo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, described the World Press Freedom Day as ‘a very special day’.
”It is a day to reflect on our struggles and successes in the pursuit of a better society. It is a day to renew our commitment to public service,” he said.
The theme for this year’s event is: ”A press for the planet: Journalism in the face of environmental crisis”.
The World Press Freedom Day is celebrated annually on May 3 to highlight the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global challenges.
