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The turmoil in Nigeria?soil-rich Niger Delta region has made international headlines for years.Militants say they want greater local control of the area?s natural resources.They want more of the revenues from the sale of the Niger Delta?s oil to stayin the region, where it can be used to create jobs and build schools, roads andother infrastructure.
Development specialists and humanrights groups want to be sure reporters don?t make things worse.
Gbenro Olajuyigbe is the advisorto ActionAid on human security in conflict and emergencies.
?Within the limits of what is going on in the [area]," he says, "[journalists]have done well. But we feel that they have enormous responsibility?and if notwell managed, could lead to the degeneration of what is going on in the NigerDelta.?
He gave an example of situationsin which information was not well managed by journalists.
?I used to see at times, from theNigerian media, a situation where it is said that 20 people have been killed inKano," Olajuyigbe says. "The media will not just stop there, but goes further to say that about12 of the dead are from the eastern part of the country. People are bound toreact. There could be reprisal attacks?and everything will get out of hand.?
ActionAid says reporting must be accurate. But to avoid violence, itrecommends that reports not mention the ethnic group of the dead. It also saysreports should be balanced. Sometimes, that means seeking reaction tocontroversial statements and doing independent checking on the accuracy ofinformation given by people interviewed.
Tony Iyare is a contributor and amember of the editorial board of the Compass newspaper. He was quoted in theActionAid report.
?You need a balance from a varietyof sources," he says. "If you go on a guided tour by Shell,you are likely to come back with a whitewash. If you also go on a guided tour bythe community [or by militants], you are likely to end up with a whitewash. At best,what you need is to conduct your own independent report in such a way that youcan get a combination of these sources, because every side has its owninterest.?
Iyare recommends that Nigerianmedia executives provide funding for in-depth reporting of the Niger Delta sojournalists can get first-hand information from all sides of the conflict.
The ActionAid report urges thegovernment to be more transparent about its actions in the region. And it asksthe government and militants not to harass journalists seeking to inform thepublic.
Tony Iyare agrees:?For the Niger Delta, quite a lotof things are shrouded in secrecy, particularly when soldiers move in toconduct raids.?
The ActionAid report warns journalists not to sensationalize theconflict with emotional words that may exaggerate an incident, like ?tragedy,??genocide,? and ?massacre.? It also warns journalists against taking sides andsays they should never accept money from any of the participants. The reportwarns reporters not to carry weapons, which can give the government or themilitants the impression that the reporters are directly involved in theconflict.
It says reporters should find outif there are laws restricting movement in the area. And to avoid trouble, theyshould carry with them an authorization letter and identity card from theirmedia house, as well as a basic first aid kit.
Reporters are encouraged to read abasic history of the region, and to learn some of the basic words in thelanguage of the area they are covering.
ActionAid encouragesthe journalists to go beyond.