The Chairman, Anambra Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Emma Ifesinachi, has called on the mass media to be professional in reporting coronavirus (COVID-19) cases ravaging the world.
He made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Wednesday.
According to Ifesinachi, intelligent reportage is needed to avoid loss of lives as a result of panic from reports of the pandemic.
“Information on how to combat the epidemic as well as its updates are necessary but it should be reported in a manner to chase away fear than to make people to live in fear.
“Information should be disseminated without inflicting problems on people,” he said.
He noted that Anambra Government had taken measures to checkmate the spread of the virus.
Ifesinachi urged the residents of the state to comply with the directives of the government.
He appealed to members of the team inaugurated by the state Gov. Willie Obiano to monitor compliance, to take the assignment serious.
Ifesinachi said that it was a constitutional responsibility of the media to inform the people adequately on programmes and activities of governments.
He aappealed to the government to carry the media along in all its activities to adequately inform the public. (NAN)