Functions of Nigerian Press Council (NPC) are listed in this article and we hope you find it informative and able to meet your research needs.
Functions of Nigerian Press Council (NPC)
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As part of the arms established by the Nigerian Press Council Act, No. 85 of 1992 is the Nigerian Press council. The original and primary motive or aim of establishing the council is to ensure quality maintenance of esteemed professional standards, ethics, and morals for the press of Nigeria.
Just like the press councils in other international communities, it is the duty of the Nigerian Press Council to be a guiding point for the ethical and moral standards of the communication industry.
As part of the other many functions of the council, the major function amongst others is to be inquisitive about the complaints that may be made against the press especially when it is coming from the general public as well as to look into complaints that are from the press about the conduct of persons or organizations to the press. In other words, the council stands as an intermediary between the general public and the press.
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Efforts to create this council that operates and regulates the Press in Nigeria can be traced to have begun so many years ago when a commission named Ekineh Commission was set up.
This newly created commission was organized and set up by a distinguished Nigerian Lawyer in the General Yakubu Gowon regime.
The commission was tasked with the responsibility of critically studying and analyzing how the Nigerian media will be in the future.
Although it made some steps, the results of their study were not found and made known to the general public as such, it is presumed that whatever efforts they made were in abject futility.
In order to further its objectives, the establishment of the Nigerian Media Council Decree No. 59 of 1988 was necessary but just like its predecessor, it was aborted because most journalists were a little scared because of the system of governmental power which was transferred on the council as at that time.
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Functions of Nigerian Press Council (NPC)
The function of the Nigerian press council amongst others is to:
1. Create an enabling environment for professionalism in the Nigerian Press.
2. Look into any form of complaint about the attitude of the press or that of any organization or person against the press and acts in accordance with whatever complaints it is in line with the power given to it by virtue of the act.
3. Guide and monitor all of the activities of the press with a view to making sure that the Code of Professional and ethical conduct of the Nigeria Union of Journalists is strictly adhered to and followed.
4. Receive forms of applications and documentation of the print media while also keeping a track record of their performance to ensure that those who are publishers comply with the laid down guidelines of the press council in collaboration with the Newspapers Proprietors of Nigeria.
5. Make sure that there is an achievement of high professional standards in the press of the country.
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6. Conduct continuous research into how the press in the country can be developed and also update the documentation of the press on a regular basis.
7. Ensure that the lives and properties of journalists in the country are protected especially when they are discharging their duties in accordance with the law.
