Convoke National Press Constitutional Conference: Facilitator Tells NUJ

There is need to convoke a national press constitutional conference that will address the challenges facing Nigerian Journalists and improve the standard of the profession.

A journalist and a political communication strategist, Doctor Festus Adedayo made the submission at a virtual workshop organized by the Osun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists with the theme, “journalism
under siege in Nigeria,the urgency and justification for media activism.

Doctor Adedayo who condemned the recent verbal attack on Daily trust correspondent, Mr Charles Eyo by chief Femi Fani Kayode said journalists must develop self confidence and stop been subservient to political officer holders.

He expressed displeasure over non payment of salary of media professionals by some media organizations and noted that this had exposed journalists to economic hardship in the recent time and it had invariably led to timidness and lack of courage among journalists.

The political communication strategist emphasized the need for journalists to always operate in line with the dictate of their profession for all overall interest of the public.

On his part, Another guest speaker and an international journalist,Mr Suleiman Aledeh emphasized the need for training and retraining of media professionals,saying a trained journalists would distinguish from the crowd.

Mr Aledeh who maintained that economic conditions of professionals had affected the practice of journalism in Nigeria called on media practitioners to have multiple source of income to sustain their self esteem.

He called on journalists to stage a work out whenever they were subjected to such treatment melted on the Daily trust correspondent in cross river state.

In his welcome address,The acting chairman, Nigeria union of journalists, Osun state council, comrade Wasiu Ajadosu said the training became imperative so as to equip members of the union with necessary skills and what is expected of them in the face of provocation.

Comrade Ajadosu said media as conscience of the society must always ready to make government accountable and responsible to the citizenry hence the need for media professionals to be trained on new trend in journalism practice in the globe.

Some of the participants who included comrade Bukola Elufadejin and Mr Sesan Adeleke said the training had further equipped them with more knowledge about the dictate of their professional callings.