Former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba; the Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe and the chairman, Troyka Holdings, Dr Biodun Sobanjo have canvassed for repositioning of journalism in the country, saying now is the time.
They gave this thought on Wednesday at a roundtable organised by the African Representative in the World Journalism Education Council (WJEC) Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, held at UNILAG.
Speaking separately, Chief Osoba, who chaired the event, said journalists during his days in the 70s were faired better in reportage and also in terms of training, career progression and development, rewards and recognition in the society than many of nowadays practitioners.
He said the manner in which fake news is being dished out to the public space in the country particularly by bloggers and other online media platforms calls for great concern.
He said it was a pity that many journalists and media houses including those in the traditional media organisations are not engaging in real investigative journalism, the development that he said makes many of them report conflicting news.
He said there were many instances of fake news, particularly in recent times in the country, citing President Muhammadu Buhari meeting with the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in London recently that while some newspapers said Buhari visits Tinubu, some others said Tinubu visits Buhari.
He asked rhetorically which one to believe between the two versions.
Chief Osoba said he had been a victim of fake news and that the damage fake news does to their subjects, families, institutions and the society at large is huge and at times irredeemable
He said many are practising journalism without understanding the ethics of the profession because they are not engaging in continuous training nor in meaningful research to enrich their reports.
He, however, urged the media professional bodies, particularly the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to have effective control over practising journalists including the bloggers so as to check their excesses.
He also urged the convener of the roundtable to make the forum in future more engaging by involving successful journalists and media entrepreneurs to come and share their experiences particularly with the students who would take over the profession in future.
Chief Osoba, while equally decrying the manner in which he said some political leaders, particularly in the corridors of power conceals information about their lives, said such attitude is not only unacceptable but condemnable.
He said once somebody accepts to take a position of leadership particularly at any level of government such individual has automatically become public property and has no secret again.
He said there was nothing wrong for a leader for example to disclose publicly his or her health status and the treatment type, saying that would be a way to prevent fake news about such leader and the institutions he or she represents.
He said even at that, journalists ought not to love reporting negative things particularly about the government and the country alone, but ought to also love reporting good things about them.
He said that was what ideal journalism stands for anywhere globally.
In his own remarks, UNILAG’s VC, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, also urged journalists to always do fact-checking before they make their reports a public consumption.
He said UNILAG would continue to train quality journalists and media practitioners not only for Nigeria but for the global market.
In his welcome address, the convener of the roundtable, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, said the idea was to bridge the gap between the newsroom and the classroom.
He said with the forum, people on either side would come together to share their knowledge and experiences to make journalism and media communication practice more impactful in the country.
Many high profile media practitioners, scholars and students including the Head of Department, Mass Communications, UNILAG, Prof Adepoju Tejumaiye; Provost, Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Mr Gbenga Adefaye, Managing director of Insight Communications, Mr Jimi Awosika who represented Shobanjo.
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