16% of Unizik Mass Comm students don’t go to newsroom after graduation — HOD

Head of Department, Mass Communication Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra, Dr Chioma Agbasimelo, has revealed that sixteen per cent of students from the department do not go to newsroom after graduation.

She said in order to correct the ugly impression, the Department would on Thursday, April 25th, 2024, hold its Career Development Summit for the mass comm students.

Dr Agbasimelo who disclosed this on Monday in a press briefing, said Valentine Obienyem, Media Aide to Presidential Candidate for Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi would be the keynote speaker.

She also listed other speakers to include: Head of Department, Mass Comm, Paul University, Prof Chinwe Uzochukwu, Prof Stella Okunna as Chairman and lead paper presenter, respectively.

She said, “Here in the department, we’ve been having lots of issues, including graduating students without knowing the area and looking for what to do for lack of areas of specialty.

“Some, during their IT will be lost to as what to do and how to go about it. This informed the decision of the conference committee of the department to organise the summit.

“The summit is targeted at enlightening the over 1270 students, including year one who are about 300 who don’t have any area they’re craving for.

“We want to change the narrative so that right from the first year, they will have areas of specialisation and can fit into the newsroom on graduation.

“Currently, most institutions are gradually unbundling their Mass communication department. We’re in the process here and will soon be done.

“We’ve assembled resource persons from different fields. Our keynote speaker will be Valentine Obienyem. We chose him because he’s grounded in Mass Communication, having been journalist for years. He is a lawyer with an LLB and PGD in mass comm.

“We also chose him because we know he’ll imbibe in the students the quest to read and pass and do well in the field.

“Other speakers are Prof Chinwe Uzochukwu, HOD Mass comm, Paul’s University, as Chairman, Prof Stella Okunna as lead paper presenter, as well as Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone and Faculty Dean as hosts.

“We’re going to couch the students in plenary sessions with CEO, Anambra State Signage and Advertising Agency, Mr Mike Odili, UNIZIK PRO, Mrs Chike Ene, Mr Elvis Ohanyele, Comrade Alloy Attah, and others as handlers.”

Agbasimelo expressed optimism that the students’ appetite and quest for specialties would improve after the Summit.