ASABA — The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, in collaboration with Chevron Nigeria Limited, has called for greater professionalism, accuracy and ethical responsibility among journalists covering Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The call was made at a one-day workshop on oil and gas reporting organised by Chevron Nigeria Limited in conjunction with the NUJ Delta State Council, with the theme, “Enhancing Professional Skills and Ethical Standards in Oil & Gas Journalism.”
Delivering a paper titled “Professional Standards in Oil and Gas Reporting: Accuracy, Ethics, and Responsible Journalism,” the Head of the Department of Film and Multimedia Studies, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Dr. Patrick K. Edema, said effective reporting of the petroleum industry requires more than knowledge of journalism and petroleum terminology.
Edema stressed the need for journalists to understand the complexity of the oil and gas value chain, including exploration and production, transportation and processing, refining, distribution and marketing.
According to him, such knowledge is essential for journalists to produce accurate, balanced and meaningful reports on the sector.
He explained that the upstream sector covers exploration and production, while the midstream sector involves the gathering, processing, transportation and storage of hydrocarbons. The downstream sector, he added, focuses largely on refining, distribution and marketing of petroleum products.
The lecturer noted that Nigeria’s oil and gas industry remains critical to government revenue, foreign exchange earnings, energy supply, industrial development, employment and export earnings, but continues to face challenges such as crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, insecurity, environmental degradation, gas flaring, infrastructure deficits and refinery-related difficulties.
He urged journalists covering the industry to go beyond event-based reporting and provide context and analysis.
“Never publish a petroleum figure simply because it came from a seemingly authoritative source. Verify it,” he advised.
Edema said journalists reporting oil discoveries, for instance, should establish the location of the discovery, the licence holder, whether the reported figure represents a resource or reserve, whether commerciality has been established, the expected production capacity, investment requirements, projected production timeline and possible environmental and community implications.
He also urged journalists to exercise particular caution when reporting statistics, noting that production figures, reserves, resources and production capacity are not interchangeable.
He said a technically accurate statement could still mislead the public if it was presented without adequate context.
On allegations of corruption, oil theft, environmental pollution, contract irregularities, fraud and regulatory violations, Edema advised journalists to verify claims, identify their sources, seek documentary evidence and give persons or organisations accused of wrongdoing an opportunity to respond.
He also cautioned journalists against sensationalism when reporting oil spills, explosions, fires, deaths and other industrial accidents.
According to him, journalists should verify casualty figures, identify the sources of information, distinguish confirmed facts from preliminary reports and avoid speculating about the causes of accidents before investigations are concluded.
Edema further called for responsible reporting of environmental and community issues, including oil spills, gas flaring, methane emissions, biodiversity loss, land degradation and water pollution.
He encouraged journalists to consult environmental scientists, regulators, host communities, non-governmental organisations and independent experts when covering environmental issues.
On digital journalism, he said the rapid spread of information through social media had increased the risk of misinformation, urging journalists to verify photographs, videos, satellite images, leaked documents and other digital materials before publication.
He noted that journalists could use tools such as reverse-image searches, metadata analysis, geolocation and official databases to establish the authenticity and origin of digital content.
Edema also addressed the growing use of artificial intelligence in journalism, saying AI could assist journalists with data analysis, document review, transcription, translation and research organisation, but could not replace editorial judgement and human responsibility.
“AI can assist journalism; it cannot replace journalistic responsibility,” he said.
The university lecturer further advised journalists to guard their independence by avoiding conflicts of interest arising from financial interests, gifts, sponsored trips, personal relationships, political affiliations and undisclosed commercial arrangements.
He warned that editorial access should never be allowed to compromise journalistic independence.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Delta State Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, said the union was particularly delighted to partner with Chevron Nigeria Limited on the capacity-building programme at a time when the oil and gas industry remained central to Nigeria’s economy, energy security and national development.
Oyowe said journalists had a responsibility beyond reporting events, stressing that they must provide the public with accurate, balanced, credible and well-contextualised information.
He noted that oil and gas journalism requires an understanding of the industry’s value chain, regulatory framework, environmental concerns, community relations, energy transition and the economic issues surrounding the sector.
“This workshop provides an opportunity for us to strengthen our knowledge and sharpen our professional skills,” he said, urging participants to engage actively with the facilitators and translate the knowledge gained into better journalism and more informed public discourse.
Oyowe commended Chevron Nigeria Limited for supporting professional development and constructive engagement with the media, while also appreciating NNPC Limited, resource persons and participating journalists.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the NUJ Delta State Council to continuous capacity building for journalists, saying a better-trained journalist was better positioned to serve the public interest and uphold the credibility of the profession.
The workshop also examined emerging developments in the petroleum industry, including digitalisation, artificial intelligence, gas development, decarbonisation and the global energy transition.
Participants were encouraged to adopt a more analytical approach to reporting issues such as fuel prices by examining factors including international crude oil prices, exchange rates, refining costs, transportation, storage, taxes and levies, import costs, supply and demand, and regulatory policies.
The workshop emphasised that the credibility of journalists remains their most valuable professional asset.
The facilitators urged oil and gas reporters to “report what you know, verify what you do not know, distinguish facts from claims, provide context, give affected parties a voice, and never sacrifice truth for speed, access or sensationalism.”
