The Acting Head of the Department of Mass Communication, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Agbani, Dr Maxwell Ngene, has called on Nigerian journalists and media organisations to strengthen professional accountability, editorial independence and fact-checking ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ngene made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Press Week Grand Finale of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Council, on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
His address was titled, “Media Accountability and the Future of Democratic Trust: Confronting the Crisis of Confidence Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections.”
He identified political interference, perceived media partisanship, sensationalism, brown-envelope journalism and economic pressures as some of the challenges threatening public confidence in the Nigerian media, warning that the credibility of journalism depends on accuracy, fairness, transparency and the willingness to correct mistakes.
The ESUT academic stressed that journalists must apply consistent standards of scrutiny to all political actors rather than allow personal or institutional political preferences to influence news selection and presentation.
He noted that the media plays a critical role in shaping public understanding of electoral processes by providing credible information about candidates, political parties, manifestoes, voting procedures, electoral incidents and election results.
Citing the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s Digital News Report 2026, Ngene disclosed that Nigeria recorded a 68 per cent overall news-trust score among surveyed online respondents, while 63 per cent sometimes or often avoided the news.
He, however, cautioned against interpreting the findings as representing the opinions of every Nigerian, noting that public confidence varies across media organisations, platforms, audiences and issues.
The keynote speaker also called for improved welfare and working conditions for journalists, arguing that media accountability should not be demanded from individual practitioners without addressing the institutional and economic circumstances under which they operate.
According to him, delayed salaries, inadequate reporting resources, poor working conditions and dependence on political patronage can expose journalists and media organisations to pressures capable of compromising editorial independence.
He therefore urged media proprietors and managers to guarantee timely payment of salaries, provide basic working tools, establish professional editorial structures and protect journalists from undue political interference.
Ngene further advocated the establishment of dedicated fact-checking desks in newsrooms, transparent editorial and ownership policies, and stronger enforcement of the NUJ Code of Ethics, particularly against brown-envelope practices.
He commended the Nigerian Guild of Editors for encouraging news organisations to establish dedicated fact-checking desks, describing collaboration with independent verification agencies as an important step towards improving the credibility of information in the public space.
He also reminded journalists of the constitutional provisions protecting freedom of expression and assigning the mass media the responsibility of holding government accountable to the people, as provided under Sections 39 and 22 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Ngene maintained that freedom and professional responsibility must complement each other, insisting that a free, independent and economically sustainable press remains essential to democratic accountability and public trust.
He maintained that rebuilding confidence in the media ahead of the 2027 elections requires collective responsibility from journalists, media owners, political actors and professional associations.
