Recently, the National Hajj commission of Nigeria (NAHCON),has constituted a media guidelines steering committee to create a framework that will be used to accredit Journalists that will cover the 2018 hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
The committee is expected to among other things ‘ Create a code of conduct for members of National Media Team and Hajj/Umrah Reporters. Provide Guidelines on international best practices for Hajj and Umrah reporting and any other recommendation that would improve the reporting of Hajj/Umrah
While inaugurating the commitee, NAHCON Chairman, Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammed said ‘the aim of the commission is to ensure that Journalists who are covering hajj are well equipped and accredited just like the way other world events are done
‘There is no known any other event that can gather over 4 million people trying to do the same thing at the same time like Hajj,” he said.
He also said the government of Saudi Arabia has done a lot to disseminate the right Hajj information to the world.
He said Nigeria and other hajj participating counties need to complement the efforts of the Kingdom
In his reaction, The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Bayo Atoyebi, who is a former Executive Secretary of Nigerian Press Council thanked the commission for the confidence reposed on members of the committee.
He also promised that the committee will be guided by journalistic ethics and best practices.
Members of the committee are drawn from media regulating bodies like Broadcast Organization of Nigeria, (BON), the National Press Council, Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), the Independent Hajj Reporters, as well as the representatives of states Muslim pilgrims welfare boards.
During the launching of hajj reporters news websites recently, NAHCON Chairman, Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammed has promised that the commission is planning to accredit journalists that cover the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
He said the prevailing situation was that journalists, who are sponsored by various state Muslim pilgrims’ welfare agencies, sometimes, work at cross purposes and “endanger the diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia which a journalist may not be aware of.”
He said the commission intends to select journalists that would report Hajj and train them on the intricacies of covering the religious rites.
Muhammad urged journalists to report strictly on Hajj matters if they go to the Holy Land; and should desist from reporting issues with diplomatic implications.
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