Ndubuoke tasks sports writers on ethical standard, balanced reporting

Ndubuoke tasks sports writers on ethical standard, balanced reporting

A former Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) president, Fan Ndubuoke has urged media practitioners to always uphold ethical standard and unbiased reportage in the discharge of their civic responsibility.

In a paper titled "The burden of finding a balance between patriotism and professionalism, the ethical question" he delivered at a workshop organized by Imo SWAN on Tuesday, the former board member of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and pioneer Executive Chairman, Imo State Sports Commission, said the sportswriter must resist the temptation of unbalanced reporting that undermines sports managers, yet he must also avoid becoming a mouthpiece for those in power.

"He must be constructive in criticism, but firm in truth. He must be patriotic, but not at the expense of professionalism.

"True patriotism is not blind loyalty. It is the courage to speak truth for the good of the nation. A journalist who suppresses the truth in the name of patriotism is neither patriotic nor professional.

"The sportswriter must therefore find a balance—a way to uphold the dignity of his profession while contributing meaningfully to national development," he posited.

The former Managing Editor of the defunct National Sportslink lamented that the Nigerian sporting press has, in recent years, deteriorated to an abysmal level by creating imaginary superstars, focused excessively on administrators instead of athletes, and showered undeserved praise on individuals for pecuniary gain.

"Many practitioners are on the payroll of administrators, agents, and coaches. This compromises our credibility and distorts our reportage. The result is visible in our sports ecosystem: National teams dominated by foreign based players of questionable pedigree, home-based talents ignored, coaches appointed sentimentally rather than on merit, overage cheating aided by sections of the press, conflicts in sports federations fueled by unethical reporting, administrators running institutions illegally without scrutiny while awards are bestowed on individuals with questionable integrity," he said.

In concluding, he admitted that though the burden of balancing patriotism and professionalism is heavy, but it is not impossible. "The sportswriter must remain steadfast, guided by truth, ethics, and a commitment to excellence. Only then can SWAN reclaim its rightful place as a guardian of Nigerian sports and a beacon of journalistic integrity."