STOP GIVING PROMINENCE TO DISRUPTIVE ISSUES, VARSITY DON CHARGES NIGERIA MEDIA
Former Dean at the School of Communication, Lagos State
University (LASU), Professor Lai Osho has urged media organisations in the
country to desist from giving voice to disruptive issues and instead use their
platforms to help citizens build consensus.
Osho gave the advice at a three-day retreat organised by the
Lagos State Government for Correspondents covering activities at the Governor’s
Office, held at the Golden Tulip Hotels, Festac.
Professor Osho who said that as development partners, the media has
the responsibility to report good governance, added that journalists and their
employers should desist from what he termed “dangerous discusses” in the bid to
increase ratings, draw traffic to their websites or sell newspapers as the case
may be.
“The media must provide a space for consensus building. There is
too much confrontation, opposition and threatening messages. You’ll find out
that some of our so called leaders, the way they present issues tend to
antagonize other people. I don’t think media organisations should lend their
spaces to such dangerous discusses.
“They must try to look at people with moderate views that can
build this country, while as much as possible shun this counterkerous discusses
that we have in the country,” Osho said.
On the issue of objectivity which is one of the ethics of the
profession, the University Don who admitted that it is sometimes difficult to
achieve because of pecuniary factors however appealed to reporters to always
ensure balance.
While canvassing better working conditions for journalists in
the country, Professor Osho decried the commercialization of news.
There are organisations now that have turned their reporters to
marketing officers. That is against the ethics of journalism. News is the heart
of any media organisation, if you have good news, advertisers will come,” he
said.
In his welcome address, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode, Mr. Habib Aruna said that the three-day refresher course was
organised because of the dynamism of reporting events at the State House and
the need to furnish correspondents covering the beat with information that
could enhance their reportage.
He said Governor Ambode believes in the growth and development
of the Nigeria media, hence did not hesitate to approve the retreat for the
correspondents covering his office, not only to enhance their skills, but also
to do so in a more relaxed and serene atmosphere.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve
Ayorinde said the training was meant to upgrade the skills of correspondents
covering activities of government for better performance.
He said that journalists covering the Government House must
display in-depth knowledge of their beat and must be a step ahead of others in
reporting the day to day activities of government.
The interactive training spanned across various topics including
the roles of correspondents in achieving good governance, effective social
media practices, techniques to overcome writers’ block, time management and
health talk, among others.
The event was rounded off with a dinner and gala night that
afforded participants to unwind and network.
STOP GIVING PROMINENCE TO DISRUPTIVE ISSUES, VARSITY DON CHARGES NIGERIA MEDIA
Reviewed by IFEDAYO AKINWALERE
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