…As He Delivers 70th RIVSU Inaugural Lecture
Journalism practitioners in the country have been charged to wake up to their statutory duties as watch dog of the society by striving for excellence and shunning unprofessional practices.
The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Rivers State University (RIVSU), Professor Goodwin Bassey Okon who gave the charge at the 70th Inaugural Lecture of the university, held at the auditorium of the Faculty of Law on Wednesday, decried what he termed journalistic inertia in the country.
The iconic media expert, who spoke on the subject, ‘Advocacy Paradigms: Unbundling The Albatross of Journalistic Inertia in Nigeria’, said journalism as practiced by the present crop of journalists, was on a downward slope.
Describing their engagement as journalistic hypocrisy, the professor noted that journalism in Nigeria has remained the same way it was 20 years ago without noticeable or discernible change in disposition and approach.
He averred that journalism ought to be practiced in an atmosphere that is completely devoid of ‘bibliotherapeautic inertia’.
The Inaugural Lecturer said it may appear that journalism had come a long way in Nigeria, but a deep look inside would reveal the contrary.
“The nationalist press was an articulated vibrant institution who made judicious use of their enterprise to fight colonialists struggle which gradually led to independence in 1960”, he opined while drawing a sharp contrast with the post-independence press which he dismissed as schisistic.
Okon, a Professor of Development Communication/Media Advocacy lamented the retrogressive tendency in the profession, and urged practitioners to direct their editorial, advertorial and features contents towards advocacy.
Adding sarcastically that Nigerian journalists are ‘in motion without movement’, the media guru emphasized that they have woefully failed to drive the needed change which the society expected from them as developmental journalists.
He also faulted the practitioners for according to him, slaughtering interpretative journalism on the altar of straight news.
His words, “The non-utilization of the interpretative platform of the Nigerian Press smirked of media passivism as against media activism.
“When stretched on a continuum, media activism falls within the purview of media advocacy which literally mean s calling attention to issues of societal importance with a view to advancing the cause of society”.
Lashing at media owners and the government for imposing policies and actions that make professionalism impracticable for journalists, Prof Okon said these are some of the factors responsible for the journalistic inertia in Nigeria.
He cited a situation where a journalist would not criticize the policies of government because the paper is owned by government or a government contractor, adding that these scenarios make Nigeria a dangerous place to practice journalism.
As a way forward, first, he called for mainstreaming of editorial policies and also the need to, as he puts it, deconstruct the ‘negative cognitive contraptions’.
“Media ownership should be anchored on excellence and also the need to fill the mentorship void in the media industry”, he posited.
In his remarks at the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Professor Nlerum Okogbule commended the high academic standard exhibited by the Inaugural Lecturer and described him as a sound academic and renown wordsmith.
Dignitaries present at the event include the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, the Traditional Prime Minister of Ogba Kingdom, Eze Louis Ajie, who represented the Oba of Ogbaland, (Eze Ogba), Eze Nwachukwu Nnam Obi III, former Vice Chancellors, Prof Barineme Beke Fakae and Prof Simon Achinewhu as well as the Vice Chancellor of University of Uyo, Prof NyaudohNdaeyo, amongst others.
Highlight of the occasion was presentation of Medals of Honour to past Vice Chancellors of the institution, (living and posthumously), who had delivered Inaugural Lectures in the university.
