Following the challenges posed by the social media to journalism profession in recent time, members of the Warri Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Delta State have undergone a two-days training on new media and its challenges.
The training workshop which was held at Godatin Hotel, Warri, the commercial nerve centre of Delta State was sponsored by PPMC, WRPC, CORDINATE GROUPS, as well as DBIR, an agency of the Delta State Government.
The seminar which was packaged by the Comrade Michael Ikeogwu-led executive of the union was designed to trained journalists on multi-media and the challenges of journalism practice in Warri and its environs.
Participants at the workshop included members of the Warri Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ, the POINTER Chapel of the NUJ, the state owned broadcasting station (DRTV), members of the civil society organisation as well as personnels from the State Police Command.
Declaring the seminar open, the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, a lawyer, who was a special guest at the event, commended the union for organising the workshop which he said was in tandem with the state government educational programmes particularly the recent government sponsored training for journalists in Thomson Reuters Foundation in London.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information in the State, Mr. Paul Osahon said that the challenges posed by the advent of the social media cannot be over-emphasised saying although it is good means of communication, the medium have caused negative and grave impact on the practice of journalism in the country.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information in the State, Mr. Paul Osahon said that the challenges posed by the advent of the social media cannot be over-emphasised saying although it is good means of communication, the medium have caused negative and grave impact on the practice of journalism in the country.
Specifically, he said that the social media which comprises of the Facebook, Twitter, and others have impacted negatively on Delta State, regretting the unwarranted blackmails and falsehood, which he said has becomes the stock of trade of many jobless and idle relevant seeking lot.
State Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Norbert Chiazor expressed delight over the training exercise saying that the skills garnered by journalists after the programme would help advance journalism practice in the state.
While commending the union for the laudable initiative, Comrade Chiazor urged other chapel of the state NUJ to emulate the initiative.
Presenting a lecture at the event, a lecturer in journalism and media language at the Babcook University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Mr. Chigozi Eti said that the media has gone 'social' because it audience went 'social' adding that journalists must ensure that their communication meets the audience of the future.
In his lecture titled "Brand story telling", the guest lecturer said that the Niger Delta region can be evenly develop through brand story telling, lamenting that often times; "our story have made corruption a phenomenon in Nigeria" instead of telling the stories that could change the face of the country.
Eti said that as media practitioners, the challenges before journalists in the region is how they can rebrand the Niger Delta from stories of oil theft, kidnapping,armed robbery and other social vices, to stories that would portray the potentials and beauty of the region.
In a related lecture entitled; "Writing for the New Media: Challenges and Prospect in the Globalized Era", Associate Dean, Student Affairs, Delta State University, Abraka, Dr Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, said the exploit of the new media have brought the world together, whereas information are spread round the world in a jiffy.
In his lecture titled "Brand story telling", the guest lecturer said that the Niger Delta region can be evenly develop through brand story telling, lamenting that often times; "our story have made corruption a phenomenon in Nigeria" instead of telling the stories that could change the face of the country.
Eti said that as media practitioners, the challenges before journalists in the region is how they can rebrand the Niger Delta from stories of oil theft, kidnapping,armed robbery and other social vices, to stories that would portray the potentials and beauty of the region.
In a related lecture entitled; "Writing for the New Media: Challenges and Prospect in the Globalized Era", Associate Dean, Student Affairs, Delta State University, Abraka, Dr Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, said the exploit of the new media have brought the world together, whereas information are spread round the world in a jiffy.
Ufuophu-Biri who traced the history of new media to the time Johannes Gutenberg introduced Metal Movable Type (MMT) in Mainz, Germany in 1454, said the technology facilitated modern newspaper publishing at that time.
He said that what constituted the new media yesterday has becomes an obsolete one today stressing that the new media of today will soon become old media tomorrow. "Each era is thus inundated with new media. Thus there is hardly an era that does not have its own peculiar new media", he added.
The MMT, Ufuophu-Biri said could be regarded as the earliest New Media or the earliest New Media technology adding; "before its invention people had written on rocks, cave, animal skins and parchment. "The invention of MMT marked the significant climax and made it the New Media of the Era", he said.
The guest lecturer said that the fundamental elements journalists need to note to overcome the challenges of new media is to ensure simplicity, conversationalism, coherence, logicality, avoidance of dangling construction/modifiers, use of correct tenses, understanding the rule of concord, brevity, among others.
Besides, he said the challenges facing journalism in the advent of the new media to included, all comers’ affairs; lack of ethical practice; falsehood, lack of professionalism, lack of credibility, among others.
Delivery a lecture entitled; Post Retirement Plan: The Journalists Perspective, Dr Cyril Olomukoro, a pharmacist at the Hospital Management Board said that the desire to retire financially independent will not materialise just because of ones desire neither will the qualities of hardwork and honesty necessarily makes one financially well off at retirement.
He stressed that one tool that would help journalists retire with ease and comfort is a retirement plan adding that without a retirement p
lans which entails, being financially intelligence, discipline, retirement would become boring and regretting.
Olomukoro said that journalists must imbibe the habit of saving for the future if they must be financially independent after retirement.
He said; "out of a 100 income earners who are still alive at 60 years, more than half of them at retirement are poor and depend on relatives, children, friends, charity organisation and the church for sustenance because they did not have a retirement plan while in active service".
Continuing, he said; "developing financial independence entails you determining your present financial state, decide how wealthy you would want to be at your retirement, develop financial intelligence and financial discipline as well as develop multiple streams of income".
Other guest lecturers who deliver papers at the seminar included, Dr Charles Edeogu who delivery a paper on proposal writing and feasibility paper development, Dr Oliseh Festus Prosper of the department of Mass Communication, Delta State University, Abraka, also delivery a lecture entitled; Social Media Emergence: Implication for journalism Practice in Nigeria as well as Mr Kalu Treasure, a multi media consultant and motivational speaker who also deliver a lecture on; The Social Media as a tool for advancement of Journalism Practice in the 21st Century.
The highlight of the seminar was the presentation of certificate of participation to all those involved in the seminar.
No comments:
Post a Comment