The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, says that the media not only reflect the society, but directs it, and shape it’s values.
By Kayode Adebiyi
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, says that the media not only reflect the society, but directs it, and shape it’s values.
Issa-Onilu said this at the maiden 2025 NAN-NUJ Press Week held at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Speaking on the theme, “The Place of the Media in Shaping and Sustaining National Values”, the NOA director-general said sustaining values cannot be achieved in the heat of sensational headlines.
“The truth is that the media is not just a mirror. It is also a compass.
“It does not merely reflect the society, it directs it. And in that direction lies the power to shape values.
“Sustaining values, however, goes beyond breaking news.
“It is not achieved in the heat of sensational headlines but in the quiet, deliberate, and consistent reinforcement of ethics, accountability, unity, and resilience.
“When the media chooses truth over rumour, context over conjecture, and the public interest over private gain, it is actively sustaining the values that hold a society together,” he said.
Issa-Onilu traced the role of the media in Nigeria to the early days of independence struggle, when it became the fire that lit the path to freedom.
“The Nigeria media was and is not simply a chronicler of events.
“The newspapers of the 1940s and the 1950s were not merely about selling papers; they were mobilising the spirit of nationalism.
“They carried the voices of our leaders who urged Nigerians to believe in the possibility of self-rule.
“In the later years, the radio and television became the conscience of society, amplifying the struggles of ordinary Nigerians, giving voice to the voiceless, and shaping national debates in ways that guided policy and influenced governance.
“The media stood and still stands as a bridge between the government and the people; and as a mirror in which our society can see its strengths and weaknesses,” he said.
The NOA DG reiterated that the Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which are fundamental to democracy.
He, however, cautioned that with such power comes significant responsibility.
According to him, the stories that journalists share, or choose not to share, can either build bridges or deepen divisions, foster hope or sow despair.
“In a society where corruption, insecurity, and disunity frequently dominate the headlines, we must pause and reflect: what values are we imparting to our people, and what image of Nigeria are we projecting to the world?