The Albino Foundation Public Notice
By: Hamzat Ibrahim Abaga
The importance of media and media personnel in any society can not be overemphasized as it associated itself with accurate and timely dissemination and gathering of information to the general public in times of distress and meryments.
Be it traditional or new media, surveillance, informing and educating function of media is as important as the media itself, especially now that citizens can longer sleep with their two eyes closed due to the increasing crime rate and insecurity in our society today.
Journalism or media being the fourth estate of the realm has numerous functions to play in harnessing the society rightly to be a safe place for everyone to leave, but Nigeria society is not a lover of free and fair press.
In times of insecurity, which has been eating up Nigeria for the past 15 years, the media have and have played a significant role in educating and informing the populace about the happening and profiling preventive tips.
In a general sense, the media has contributed greatly to the overall development of the nation. It is no longer news that the world is gradually migrating into space, where things are done virtually.
For instance, foods, shelters, electronics and even classes are held online. This is due to the educative and informative role play by the media to be well equipped with knowledge about the danger and importance of innovation.
Media is an intermediate between the insurgents and the general public is a great way in saving people’s lives. This enables people to be informed about the activities of banditry.
Assuming Nigeria without media for 24 hours just the way Telecommunications we’re shut down in some parts of the country to help in curtailing insurgency.
The country must have been more deadly and unsafe to leave.
Corruption and bad governance in Nigeria is also a troubling situation as the present administration in its first phase of governance fought corruption with full force, but what happened after then is what many of us can not tell.
In this aspect, the media has helped the government to achieve its set objectives of fighting corruption.
Media is as important as life itself.
Media feeds you with vital information about what is happening within and beyond your immediate environment.
Journalism is a profession imbued with danger, and yet, people choose to practice it, so it must be given attention in terms of the welfare of workers. This will enable them to deliver without being compromised in any way.
But since time immemorial, media personnel are hated by the government officials and general public. This alone has reduced media in the eyes of the general public and makes it practice in Nigeria as a nightmare.
There is no doubt society has to support and encourage good journalism because it deserves a better and more improved brand of journalism championed by credible journalists, guided by professional ethics and general public interests.
Premium Times Centre For Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ),
in a publication of August 27, by Kinsley Obi, stated that “media issue of poor remuneration, as well as poor welfare, provisions for journalists, has been identified as one of the greatest challenges eating up media industry
in Nigeria.
Media practitioners and media owners to be able to achieve their aim of establishment and practice, must critically look into the welfare of its workers, provision of life insurance and better welfare packages.
Journalism is a very important profession that society must embrace because of its significance in society.
Media should be encouraged in our Nigeria higher institutions just the way it is encouraged in the larger society.
Because it is now clear that journalism is not only done in the bigger space but also in our various campuses, students practice objective and in-depth reporting of activities in the campus.
This piece is initiated by the theme of the 2021 Youth Digest Campus Journalism Award. #CJA2021,
In which I’m a finalist.
