By Ahmad Umar:
A lecturer with the Nigerian Television College, Jos, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, Job Guyson, has urged Media practitioners in the country to work for the society through the promotion of human angle stories that are not only credible but positively touch the lives of the people. .
Guyson, made the call during a training for women journalists, organised by the Gombe State Chapter of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, on Thursday.
He said the media tends to ignore issues that border on the society and its development, but rather favour the people that occupy offices in the government.
The lecturer lamented that most often, media organisations lose their credibility, reputation and subsequently the followership, unknowingly, due to their focus on commercial news at the detriment of development and human angle stories.
He said understanding the Freedom of Information Act would provide the journalists with sufficient weapons to stamp out corruption in all its ramification.
“Unless you work for the society, the credibility of your station may not be protected and it is your credibility that will sell your station. Credibility will actually bring advertisers for you. Media owners should know that if all your stories all the time are about people occupying government offices, then it’s difficult for you to have credibility at the end of the day. And when your reputation before the eyes of the public is actually very low people will be sceptical in bringing advertisements to your station. They will also be sceptical in tuning to watch your station. So your patronage is very important and your patronage once it’s good, it will bring advertisers and it will make everybody want to come and do something with your media organisation, because people have this high respect.
Guyson encouraged the women journalists to concentrate more on issues that will have positive impact on the lives of the people, thereby attracting patronage to the organisation.
Also speaking the Chairperson of the association, Mrs. Comfort Mukollo, said the training has become necessary because the world was dynamic and as such ,members of the association are expected to adapt to the changing trend in the profession for positive impact.
“The Gombe women journalists were made to understand that the provision of the Freedom of Information Act has become an empowerment tool in their hands and that understanding it would complement the efforts of the present government’s driven to fight corruption.
She however said the Nigerian journalists lacked the basic knowledge of the provisions of the law and the fact that it empowers them for great exploits for the development of Nigeria, adding that women journalists could rise to the highest position in the profession if they put in their best .
So, I want to call on the women journalists to live up to the profession. We are all referred to as Gentle Men of the Press, so even by that we should know that we are supposed to work assiduously, not just see ourselves as women, as-in, in gender. We are living at the workplace as journalists and we know that there are some beats that some people feel are for women and some for men. But women can work extra. It’s all about giving them the chance or the opportunity,” Mrs. Comfort Mukollo said.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/05/03/press-release/world-press-freedom-day-media-practitioners-urge-to-ensure-transparency-rule-of-law/
