WORKSHOP: Always Adhere to Best Practice, Experts Charge Journalists

Abeokuta: Andy BABATUNDE

Published, December 5, 2020 

 

Resource persons at the Federated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council, one day In- house training tagged ”Training to Win” have charged participants to always engaged in best practice as it’s through this and other strategies that the business of publishing newspaper could be profitable.

The “Training to win” series 1 has the theme “Publishing Newspaper for Profit”. The event which took place on Thursday 3rd of December, 2020 at the Evento Palace hall, Isale-igbehin, Abeokuta was attended by members of the chapel from three senatorial district of the state and members of the Correspondents’ Chapel as well as other guests.

While taking the participants through the topic, ”Media, A Friend or Enemy of Government, Courting the Community Newspapers”, the Consultant of Roots FM, Mr. Dele Ayodo, said to be successful in the business of publishing newspaper/magazine, media organisations must not fight government and neither be friendly with it, but maintain a professional balance .

Mr. Ayodo added that editors and reporters should identify powerful and important individuals in government for special attention, especially key people in government.

Given practical examples, he posited that neither friendship not enmity was advantageous to journalists unless they stuck to the ethos and ethics of their profession, saying only this would give them the necessary leverage to perform professionally.

L-R: Adeniyi Adeloye, immediatel Past Chairman, Federated Chapel and Oyawale, Publisher, Black Heritage magazine.

Ayodo also urged journalists in the state to separate unionism from professionalism and not to allow union politics to hamper growth of journalism in the state.

The Publisher of The Dispatch Newspaper, Chief Sina Oduntan, who delved on “Making Newspaper Profitable in the Age of Social Media Menace” harped on the need for self-assessment by publishers so as to give room for personal development.

He identified lack of funds, dearth of adverts, low patronage among others as factors contributing to unstable, irregular publications.

Oduntan reiterated that social media has changed the core of journalism in so many ways as both readers and ‘sources’ have become reporters. He said for newspapers to survive the social media onslaught and earn revenue the gatekeepers of newspapers must make web a top priority and be reporting from multiple platforms.

He said social media lacks the fact-checking principle of newspapers, accuracy and balance, adding that each newspaper publication must identify it’s strength, what it does better than others, and must emphasize it in its each edition. 

He said the era of collection of sectioned news stuffed into one newspaper has become less valuable to more people.

He, therefore, allayed the fear that newspaper might go into extinction, urging participants to be creative, innovative in all areas of their papers, especially cover page and ensure rich contents.

Former Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council, Chief Niyi Ogunpola, who tutored the participants on” Finding, Publishing Profitable News- A Business Model for Newspaper”, identified finding veritable and strong news sources, adept at investigative journalism and strong features among other as key factors that would ensure profitability in the business.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Federated Chapel, Comrade Lanre Adegboyega said the workshop was organised for members to gain insight and information that would remain effective in the management of their individual newspapers, magazines, and online editions

At the event, some of the resource persons who were unavoidable absent at the training sent their papers which were reproduced and distributed to the participants.