Amnesty International Nigeria has charged the journalists to apply media ethics in their daily practice by fact-checking their information and helping to shape public opinion.
It has also urged journalists to help influence policy, hold authorities accountable, help amplify human rights narratives, and shed light on violations
The human rights organisation gave the charge at a training held for journalists in the South South geopolitical zone on human rights-centered journalism.
Amnesty said the essence of the training was to empower media professionals with the tools, knowledge, and strategies necessary to advance human rights issues
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Facilitators at the two-day workshop described the media as powerful agents of change, advocating for justice, equality, and dignity for all.
They said that the basic human rights include the right to life, dignity, personal freedom, fair treatment, privacy, freedom of thought, religion, peaceful assembly, association, and movement.
However, they observed that these rights are frequently violated in Nigeria, stating that as agents of social change, the media have the power to set the societal agenda, shape public opinion, and champion human rights.
The key challenge for media professionals lies in covering these critical human rights issues while maintaining journalistic independence and adhering to ethical standards, they also said.
