An associate professor of Strategic Communication at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Sule Ya’u Sule, has urged editors to consistently apply what he described as the “law of common sense” in newsroom decision-making to safeguard public peace, professional integrity, and the survival of media organisations.
Prof. Ya’u made the call in Kano while presenting a paper titled: “Who is an Editor?” at a one-day roundtable discussion with editors, organised by the Kano State Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs in collaboration with Nadeem Media Consult Limited to strengthen newsroom practices and editor–reporter relations.
He described editors as gatekeepers and internal surveillance mechanisms whose responsibility goes beyond technical accuracy to weighing the likely consequences of publishing sensitive stories.
According to him, while a news report may meet all conventional news values, editors must still ask whether its publication could ignite conflict, mislead the public, or endanger lives.
“The law of common sense demands that an editor pause to ask: Will this story inflame tensions, create confusion, or threaten peace?
“If there is no peace, journalists themselves will not be safe to practise,” he said.
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’u defined editing as the process of removing ambiguity and unwanted elements to ensure clarity, legality, and balance, stressing that editors must be familiar with names, positions, and institutions to correct errors that could expose media houses to litigation or public backlash.
He noted that editors operate at different levels from reporters who make first editorial choices in story selection, to sub-editors, editors-in-chief, and digital editors, all of whom must balance political, commercial, and audience interests.
Also speaking, Mukhtar Magaji of BUK’s Department of Media Studies emphasised the need for a stronger rapport between editors and reporters to improve newsroom output, noting that professional discipline and collaboration were critical in a tense media environment.
Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, described editors as judges in the newsroom, urging them to weigh public interest, patriotism, and security alongside professional ethics.
He assured journalists of the state government’s commitment to press freedom, while calling for responsible journalism that prioritises peace and the collective interest of Kano State.
