Keynote Speech Presented at the 35th Anniversary of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Anambra State Council on Thursday 10th September, 2026 by The Rt. Revd. Ephraim O. Ikeakor, Bishop, Diocese of Amichi (Anglican Communion)

Theme: Anambra NUJ, 35 Years on… Reporting with Truth, Responsibility, and Service “… But”.

Courtesy. 

Let me start this speech by first and foremost congratulating the Anambra State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists ably led by her Chairman, Comrade Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu on this auspicious event of her 35th Anniversary Celebration. Attaining thirty-five years of existence, and functionality as a body is no mean feat at all. Congratulations to all the members of this Union in Anambra State.

INTRODUCTION 

Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) is a network of media professionals established to advance the professionalism, safety, and welfare of Nigerian journalists. It is an independent trade organization with no political leaning, or ideological disposition. The Nigeria Union of Journalists was founded with, and in the underlying belief that speaking with one voice as a professional body, it can push for the interest of its members particularly in the areas of working conditions and rights – freedom of expression, safety, job security and fair remuneration, gender equality, freedom of association, copyright protection, and fight against all forms of discriminations, oppression, or suppression. Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) was formed in Nigeria on March 15, 1955 in Lagos during Nigeria’s struggle for independence from British rule. This Union has grown and expanded from twelve State Councils in 1966, to now thirty-seven State Councils, and seven hundred and forty Chapters. The current National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists is Comrade Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi, while the National Secretary is Mr. Achike Chude. 

CRITICAL SECTORS OF THE THEME:

 There are four major sectors and components of the theme we are discussing. They are:

• Reporting with Truth.
• Reporting with Responsibility.
• Reporting with Service.
• The ‘But’ equation.

A: REPORTING WITH TRUTH 

In an era and generation where information travels faster than ever, the pursuit of objective reality in journalism, and among journalists is not merely the act of reporting events, but the vigorous and courageous process of uncovering the underlying truth that shapes our collective understanding of society, leadership, and humanity. Whether you are a seasoned editor, a student of communications, or a concerned citizen, reporting with truth provides insights and a mirror to the challenge of reporting with truth confronting the Fourth Estate. The struggle to remain unbiased while exposing corruption, bad leadership, and unethical conducts is a timeless battle that requires courage, precision, and an unwavering commitment not only to facts, but more importantly to truth. It is worthy of note to remind us that not all facts are truths, but all truths are facts. This is where the near absence of true investigative journalism amongst most Nigerian journalists has become a corrosive threat to our nation especially as it concerns true democracy, trusted judicial system, responsible and responsive legislature, and astutely functional Executive.

This journey through the philosophy of reporting with truth will consolidate and illuminate why the search, desire, and demand for truth in reportage remains the heartbeat and beacon of a functioning democracy, and sane society. According to a renown journalist and reporter, Walter Cronkite, “Journalism is what maintains democracy. It is the own check on power.” This quote emphasizes that the truth is the primary tool for holding leaders accountable. Without a commitment by journalists to truthful reporting, power grows unchecked, and unchecked power leads to tyranny. An anonymous journalist once posited: “The truth is the only thing that matters in the end to any true journalist. The duty of the journalist is to report the truth, even if it is uncomfortable.” Truth often hurts those who have lied to maintain their status. Every relevant journalist should know that the courage to be uncomfortable is what makes a journalist a professional.

An investigative reporter once said, “The best journalism is that which reveals the truth that others are trying to hide.” This highlights the “watchdog” role of the press. Any reporter who sacrifices truth on the altar of comfort, personal gain, and fat brown envelope is deadlier than a terrorist. Reporting the truth often comes with a price, and bravery and courage are surviving and sustaining tools. All journalists should understand that a journalist’s greatest tool is not a pen, but a spine. So technical skill is useless without the bravery to publish dangerous truth. That is why the Holy Bible clearly says “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32). ‘Spine’ represents the moral fortitude to withstand threats and intimidation. This should remind us of great journalists and reporters like Dele Giwa, and Ray Ekpu. There is no reporting if it is not anchored on the truth, exhumes truth, exhales truth, and reveals truth. The truth is a torch that burns the hands of those who try to extinguish it. The only way to deal with a lie is to expose it with an undeniable truth. The only effective antidote to misinformation is a mountain of evidence built by truth. The Nigerian society is in her very pitiable state socially, politically, morally, and economically since majority of Nigerian journalists became stomach infrastructure journalists. Any society where journalists become pliable and willing tools in the hands of oppressive, insensitive, and morally bereft leaders, due to either monetary gain, or popularity, that nation ceases to function. It is better for a journalist to be hated for the truth than loved for a lie. Kindly note that the truth often makes the reporter an enemy of the elite, but a hero to the masses. Reporting with truth is the greatest challenge confronting every journalist in Nigeria.

B: REPORTING WITH RESPONSIBILITY:

 This is another very important component of the theme of this 35th Anniversary celebration. Journalistic responsibility means reporting news and events accurately, fairly, and independently. A responsible journalist checks facts, weighs sources carefully, and avoids bias to shape his story. Reporting with responsibility means telling the truth as carefully and accurately as you can, giving people a fair picture, and keeping your reporting independent from personal agendas, politics or pressure from interested parties. A responsible journalist checks facts, uses as reliable sources, and does not rush a story just to be first. This is one of most abused and neglected pitch in most social media spaces and reporting. The idea of responsible reporting must originate from accuracy. Reporting with responsibility to any journalist means representing viewpoints honestly, and avoiding loaded framing that distorts the story. In journalistic responsibility, independence is another piece of the cake. Journalists are not just passing information; they are also responsible for the public consequences of that information. One of the greatest enemies of reporting with responsibility is conflict of interests. This is a major obstacle in Nigeria among many Nigerian journalists, and media houses.

If a media outfit or house gives an award of excellence to a politician just because of the donation they want him/her to dole out, when in the actual, truthful, and factual sense, that politician is not performing even averagely, how can such a media maintain responsible reporting to the public? Before the 2023 Presidential Election in Nigeria, I heard a TVC presenter and reporter say on live broadcast, “I swear to God, I can swear with my life and that of my first child that Presidential Candidate (name withheld) never had anything to do with drugs while he was in the US. How can a 1st class graduate be doing drugs?…” On 21st August 2026, the same journalist, reporter, and broadcaster said, “If the US release these files, it will conclude that they just want to destroy our democracy. How can they be considering releasing those files – that is like 40 years old at this era when Nigeria’s economy is booming and stabilizing, and at a time when the President is delivering on all his campaign promises. Let’s watch and see. But I know they won’t release it. It is of no use to any Nigerian – he concluded”. This is a classical example of how conflict of interest can militate against responsible reporting by a journalist. He is not alone in this bizarre cloud of personal interest, and uncoached political alignment by some journalists.

Journalistic responsibility is the backbone of almost everything else a journalist does in journalism and reporting. If you cannot verify facts, stay fair, and separate reporting from bias, then headlines, leads, interviews, and feature stories all lose credibility. A strong article is not just well written, or well reported, it is trustworthy.

C. REPORTING WITH SERVICE IN MIND:

 Public interest is the reason journalism is supposed to matter beyond the journalist, and reporter. It is not out of place if I state and posit that Journalism is not just a Profession, but more than a profession, it is a Calling. Many journalists tend to believe that their job is about creating and distributing content. However, Jeff Jarvis, director of CUNY’s Tow-Knight Centre for Entrepreneurial Journalism suggests that Journalists and news media companies are actually in the Service Provision business, instead of the Content Creation business. What kind of service do journalists and reporters provide? The answer is very important and intriguing. They help individuals in particular, and society as a whole to stay informed.

Jarvis argues that the internet and technology have made it possible for journalists to think way beyond the traditional article, and explore a much broader range of possibilities. Journalists and reporters should adopt this mindset of identifying users’ information needs, and providing solutions to meet them by creative reporting. For example, Parents in Texas who are worried about the best school choice for their children, the Texas Tribune has developed a search engine that allows and enables them to easily explore and compare Texas state districts and public schools, with data on demographics, academic performance, college readiness, and average teacher salaries for each school. This service provided by Texas Tribune is making it easier for Texans to make an informed choice on schools to enrol their children. The New York Times has a customizable push alert system for breaking news. Such alerts are not a content stream. They arrive and are available when there is something the user should know. That is a service.

Furthermore, Wirecutter, which is an online product review and recommendation service owned by The New York Times Company provides users an informed opinion on which gadget to buy, while ProPublica which is a non-profit organization that is constantly seeking new ways to serve the public has not only created a group that allows patients who have been harmed by medical practitioners to share their experiences, but has also built a database that tells you how many of the surgeries your doctor performed ended in complications. This is journalism anchored on and propelled by service. Nigerian journalists need to go beyond reporting of news and events by emulating their foreign counterparts in providing service-based reporting and journalism. To be a service, news must be concerned with outcomes rather than products. How many State Councils of NUJ have robust, reliable, and up to date database on burning issues like political manifestos, Judicial system, researchers and researches that serve the Nigerian Public. People who work on Community Newspaper, Radio and Television news staff have long seen their jobs as public service. Why? Because local news organizations should offer information vital to the health of their communities and democracy. Nigerian journalists should see themselves more as servants of the masses, than servants to the politicians and the elites. Three strong tools journalists use to connect citizens accurately to each other, and their leaders are: 

1. Robust coverage; 
2.  Reliable Documentation, and 
3.     Resilient Information sharing. 

The greatest motto, and vision every journalist, especially in Nigeria should have and pursue to render credible and impactful service to the whole country and her citizens are: 

1. Hold the powerful accountable through watchdog and investigative journalism; and 
2. Give voice to the voiceless through story choice, sourcing and execution. This is nothing but reporting as service to the people.

D. -BUT: 

All these challenges, demands, and expectations from journalists are possible and doable, but the government at all tiers has a very great responsibility of granting and guaranteeing press freedom, freedom of information, and enabling environment for journalists, and media houses to operate and thrive. It is an obvious fact in Nigeria that government use funding to keep the media, and journalists in chains, ruins, and pains thereby incapacitating their efficiency in reporting with truth, responsibility and service. The political axiom and maxim of who pays the piper, dictates the tune have been used by the elites, politicians, and business moguls to strangulate the Press and the media in Nigeria. In a sane  clime, there should be media subsidy, and media grants to journalists, and media outfits by government at all levels.

But where this is not working in our country, media houses, journalists, and reporters should begin to think outside the box of depending on financial hand-outs from either the Government, or the well-to-do members of the society, to become very creative in creating alternative sources of income for their survival and sustainability. To become self-sustaining entity, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State Council should consider these four takeaways for survival, and financial autonomy:

1. Diversification is very crucial.
2. Leveraging very viable brand strength.
3. Maintaining high-level quality and ethical standards.
4. Audience engagement and retention.

CONCLUSION: 

At 35, NUJ Anambra State Council is neither a suckling nor a toddler. Therefore lamentation, is not an excuse for non-performance, redundancy, compromise, and junk journalism. The world is travelling with a supersonic speed in all dimensions, careers, and professionalism. The call for reporting with truth, responsibility, and service is not a suggestion, but a demand for all journalists and reporters in the 21st Century. However, it is very pertinent to remind all of us, whether a journalist, businessman, technocrat, politician, or public servant that a deformed mind can never work towards a reformed society. Truth must germinate in the heart, before it can flourish in the land. The heart of the problem of man is the problem of the heart of man.

Thanks immensely for your time and attention.