Photo: Dr. Andee Iheme/facebookBy Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu
Media organisations have been called on to improve the salaries of their workers (journalists) to prevent them and save the profession from public embracement.
The call was made by a Veteran broadcaster, Dr. Andee Iheme at an event to mark 2024 World Press Freedom Day organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bauchi State Council and the Nigeria Police Force, Command Bauchi.
According to him, this would go a long way towards encouraging and enhancing the journalists' performances and also boost their morale to do more while discharging their respective duties.
Iheme lamented that most of the journalists were not being paid their salaries by the media organisations that engaged them but were only given an identification card to go out to the field and work.
“It's a sin to invite a man and work for you without paying his sweat. A holy book says every man is worthy, and a labourer is worthy of his wages. Therefore, in that scenario, you can't expect anything from the journalists rather than to compromise, because they were not being paid,” he said.
He argued that it's not an ideal situation and in line with the practice of journalism profession that an organisation would give a reporter just an ID caard and send him to the field, without giving him some stipends to cover up for his daily needs and for his family at home.
He explained that such media organisations are those who indirectly force the journalists to compromise.
“Establishing a media organisation requires more money and one aspect of it is the staff salaries. Therefore, if you're not ready to establish a media organisation, please, don't,” Iheme pleaded.
The veteran broadcaster used the medium and called on the relevant authorities to make it as condition that if a media organisation would not pay its staff salaries, such a medium should be closed down and sanctioned.
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