Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, Thursday, commissioned the revitalised printing facilities of the state-owned Nigerian Chronicle on Barracks Road, Calabar.
Victoria Omini- CALABAR
He said the revival reflects government’s renewed commitment to ensuring the free flow of information between government and the people.
Recalling his first media parley after assuming office, Otu said he pledged to revitalise every state information asset and strengthen communication channels.
That pledge, he noted, has been fulfilled with the upgrade of transmission equipment and renovation of office blocks at the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation, and now with the reactivation of Chronicle.
Established in 1970, the newspaper had been moribund for about two decades. Its facilities were also vandalised during the #EndSARS protest of 2020.
The governor said his administration moved to re-equip the press with state-of-the-art printing machines and accessories and to renovate the entire complex.
“Government has invested scarce resources to bring this paper back to life.
“It is now left for management and staff to justify the investment through diligence and by protecting these assets against vandalism,” Otu said.
He charged the Editorial Board to develop a Critical response initiative in information management to keep the public abreast of breaking news, counter misleading information and respond to emergencies within and outside the state.
“As a conventional media outlet, Chronicle must verify facts before publication.
“Falsehood and sensationalism should be left to social media and other new media platforms,” he reasoned.
Otu added that another critical role of the newspaper is to document and propagate the development milestones of his administration for public information and appraisal.
He urged journalists to separate propaganda from reality in their reportage, and expressed hope that the paper would regain public interest through accurate and responsible journalism.
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