The Famous Chief Executive Officer of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo, has called on professional journalists to take back the media platforms from charlatans and media influencers who lack media training.
Dr Adeyemo made this known yesterday at the World Television Day celebration at the Ogun State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat,Okelewo Abeokuta the state capital. The event was organized by the Consolidated Chapel of the Ogun NUJ.
The real estate guru expressed concern about unqualified individuals flooding the media space with negative content, urging genuine professionals to safeguard the industry for the sake of national harmony, stability and development .
He said,” what I want us to do is to take the battle to them and take the profession back from the unprofessionals. The online medium has already given us the platform to be an independent publisher, broadcaster and entrepreneurs once you know the ‘do’s and don’ts’ and how to handle and use your languages. As a mass communication graduate you don’t need to search for jobs. Once you can come up with a creative content,can go on Tik Tok life, facebook life, you don’t need to pay any TV station to buy Airtime. It is a wonderful opportunity for a potential mass communication graduate, or even existing and practicing journalist to take advantage of the opportunity in the social media space.
The event was a panel discussion on,” Television: Strategic for conflict management and nation building” as it brought together practitioners from different media organizations.
It also presented awards of excellence to individuals, who had placed a key role in the media development, in history of professional practice in the state.
The award recipients included the Pelican Boss, Dr Babatunde Adeyemo, pioneer chairman of the Chapel who is also TVC correspondent in the state, Com. Kazeem Olowe, State chairman of the Ogun NUJ council , Com. Wale Olanrewaju, Baale Arulogun Olawale Taofeek, the National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Dr. Oluwafemi Abayomi Arabambi, Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun and former Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, Mr. Kayode Akinmade.
Earlier, a veteran Broadcast journalist, Mr Eddie Aina, identified Television as a powerful tool for education, mass mobilisation for development and nation Building.
Mr Aina expressed the concern that in Nigerian experience for many decades, the television has been largely an urban-centric thing in its reportage, giving little or scanty attention to rural settings and the developmental challenges confronting them.
He identified regionalism, ethnicity, religion, media ownership, media commercialization and lack of consensus among the elite on matters pertaining to fundamentals as some of the factors stymieing efforts at nation building in Nigeria over the years.