The Role of the Media in National Rebirth was the focus of an interactive session organised by the New Dawn Baptist Church on Wednesday in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
Participants included Chief Executive Officers, Managers, and Senior Producers and Editors of media organisations.
They shared experiences and made contributions on how the media can contribute to national rebirth.
In a welcome address, the Lead Pastor of the Church, Samson Adedokun, said Nigeria is in need of a rebirth and the media should be in the forefront of the advocacy.
The interactive session which assessed the media, the pastor said the church was willing to provide necessary support for the industry to improve.
“We are in the midst of post-election hangover. We are in the midst of the need for renewal, for regeneration, but the big word for us is the one driving our programme. We are in the need for a rebirth. Our nation has gone through so much and it’s still going through more. Those of us that are residents in Lagos, whether we like it or not, know that we are still trying to reconnect with one another, so there is need for a rebirth and the media is in the forefront of that.”
During panel the discussion on the role of the media in national rebirth, issues ranging from press freedom, media responsibilities, training and retraining of personnel, self regulation, to social media control were highlighted, with experts sharing perspectives on them.
The Chief Executive Officer, Royal Roots Radio and TV, Mr Greg Odutayo, who represented the Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON), observed that the Nigerian media had not been responsible in the way it has handled the issue of national rebirth.
Nation building
“Without mincing words, I personally believe that a lot of our organisations have been irresponsible. We need to say it to ourselves! We have not handled nation building or national rebirth properly especially at this time that we have just finished election.
“We have allowed our personal biases, we have allowed our personal feelings to and opinions to override national interest. We have not played the role of a gatekeeper, we have not played the role of the referee. We have entered the ring and joined in the fight. That’s not our role as media. The media is supposed to be the fourth estate of the realm. We carry a lot of responsibilities. When the NBC gives you a license, you are holding that license in trust for the country.”
The Zonal Director, National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Dr. Chibuike Ogwumike emphasised the need for reorientation of media workers and that can be achieved through training and retraining.
“And, do we achieve this reorientation without reorienting the public, because in one way of the other, their attitude is also affecting us in the media. It’s very important that we need a change of attitude. We need a change of orientation. In changing our orientation, there is absolute need for training and retraining of the media workforce.”
Adequate research
Another panelist, Abayomi Odeniran, who is the Manager, Programmes, Metro Fm, Lagos, said radio presenters and producers must conduct adequate research on issues they discuss on air in order not to misinform or disinform the listeners.
“I have realised that in recent times, may be because the platforms are there, a lot of people just come in without scrutiny, they come into the space and they are not doing the job as they ought to.
“For radio, because of the sensitivity, because it’s transient, what you air now you may not repeat it again, so the listener go with the information. So, it’s very important that you do not misinform or disinform, and it’s very important that you do your research.”
A Digital Marketing Expert and Social Media Enthusiast, Elizabeth Ajala, urged the media to use the social media space responsibly to facilitate the national rebirth.
The Media Interactive Session, is part of the New Dawn Baptist Church’s contribution to nation building. It’s coming ahead of the dedication of the Church’s building at Prince Yomi Daramola Street, Dideolu Estate, Oniru, Victoria Island, slated for Monday 10th April this year.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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