By Charles Ayodele
The Special Adviser to Ekiti State Governor on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode has urged government at all levels to see journalists as partners in progress who should always be carried along in every government activities.
Oyebode who was ably represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Ekiti State on Research and Documentation, Mr. Femi Owolabi stated this in a separate interview with journalists during the one day Media Summit in commemoration of 2024 World Press Freedom Day with the theme, “Restoring Confidence In Conventional Media”, held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat, Ado-Ekiti, the State capital.
The SA to the governor who noted that journalists are backed by section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution to hold government accountable said journalists must always be concerned with what government is doing at every point.
While rating the summit, the SA said it provides an opportunity to identify some of the gaps between government communication and what journalists should do. He was of the opinion that such engagement should be periodic where journalists and government officials in the State will be able to interact.
In his own remark, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti State Council, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi explained that the summit was organised for the stakeholders to brainstorm on how Journalism profession can be repositioned.
“We noticed in the recent times that there is a lot of abnormalities in the practice of journalism. Some were caused by the core professionals and some coming from those working with government or private institutions.
“That’s why we have come together to brainstorm and come up with solutions that will enable members of the public have more believe in the conventional media”. Said the Chairman, adding that Journalism has always been seen as a noble profession.
Speaking on how to restore the integrity of journalists who have been perceived by the public as being too money conscious and dishonest people, the Director-General, Community Communications, Mrs Mary Oso-Omotoso, said there’s need to work on themselves to change such impression.
Mary Oso noted that it’s not something that can be done overnight but through activities by showing their true personality. “They have to rebrand themselves for the public not to continue to take them as unserious.
At the end of the day, the leadership of NUJ in Ekiti which include, NUJ VP Zone B, Comrade Ronke Samo, Akogun Tai Oguntayo, Comrade Rotimi Ojomoyela, General Manager, Radio Nigeria, Progress FM, Ado Ekiti, Dr. Adebola Agbaje and members in attendance all resolved that journalists should always see themselves as one irrespective of their medium by showing love to one another.
