Leading real estate developer, Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo has advised journalists to use social media as a professional tool and capitalise on the potential it presents.
The former MITV reporter stressed that this was vital as charlatans who lack the required knowledge are taking over the profession and promoting offensive and unedited content.
Dr Adeyemo stated this while speaking on Tuesday at the 2023 World Television Day organized by the Consolidated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ogun state council held at the Iwe Iroyin hall, Oke Ilewo Abeokuta.
The year’s celebration was themed, ‘Television: A Strategic Tool for Conflict Management And Nation Building’ and a sub – theme titled, ‘Media Space For Information Access In Nigeria’
According to the real estate guru “You can’t really give what you don’t have. The TV may go into extinction because average Nigerian want to hear something negative and the TV and Censor Board will not permit an average TV reporter to show gory scene and if you are reporting, you must have something to complement your reportage, it is not a case of you talking anything you want and put it online and that is why online medium has been having a lot of edge over us.
“So, what I want us to do is to take the battle to them and take the profession back from them. The online medium has already given us the platform to be an independent producer, broadcaster and to be a CEO 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. You can go on Tik tok live, facebook live, create a programme, 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.
“Unfortunately, we journalists maybe because we are always busy trying to file 10 reports per day does not really encourage us to have in-depth thoughts on how we can utilize the opportunity by ourselves. That is why you see some people that did not study either journalism or mass communication making millions of money from our own inheritance.
“I want to urge all of us to take the profession back from charlatans and when we have taken it back, we will now be reporting professionally. That is when we will be able to use it as a tool to curb vices in the nation.”
The CEO of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, on the other hand, advised journalists to strive for a “second address,” stating that it is something they can always fall back on when things go tough on the field.
“This profession actually gave me a lot of leverage, not only me, I realized that when I was a cob reporter in Lagos, there were so many performers in many administrations that I personally know myself that it is the media that brought them to limelight because they were very very good and friendly to the media.
“I want to use this opportunity to urge all those that are working hard and want their efforts to be felt by the public to be friendly with the media. Moreso, let the media use what they have positively to chart a path for a second address. We have the names, we have the connections, So, you can always thrive with your second address using experience and knowledge of the media”, he said.
Adeyemo and other dignitaries were however given awards at the event. This include its pioneer chairman and TVC reporter, Com. Kazeem Olowe, State chairman of the NUJ, Com. ‘Wale Olanrewaju, and the Baale Arulogun Olawale Taofeek, who at a time worked with Adeyemo at MITV.
Other awardee includes 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, amongst others.
