Abstract:
Truthful public communication by press secretaries is a sine qua non for good governance and public safety. Thus,
ethical codes in both journalism and public relations, the two professions their practitioners mostly serve as press
secretaries, are expected to shape their conduct in office. This study sought to find out if these ethical stipulations are
adhered to by press secretaries in Nigeria, particularly in the area of disseminating truth, rather than disinformation.
The study adopted the survey design. Using a purposive sample of 187 lecturers drawn from five universities in
Abuja and its environs, it used a questionnaire as its instrument of data collection. Descriptive statistics were used in
the data analysis. The findings showed, among other things, that most of the respondents think press secretaries
practise disinformation and put their principals’ interests above public interest for economic gain, thereby promoting
bad governance and insecurity. The study, therefore, recommended, inter alia, that the NUJ and NIPR should
periodically organise training sessions to remind members of their job specifications and ethics and sanction erring
members who are press secretaries, rather than giving them awards for walking in the corridors of power.
