‘Journalists must acquire multi-media skills to be relevant’

A Maiduguri-based media practitioner, Mr. Timothy Olarenwaju, has stated that it is no longer enough for the 21st century to just know how to write contents and stories, but should know how to present his stories and contents in other formats aside text. 

Mr. Olarenwaju, spoke at a public lecture organised by the Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA) of the University of Maiduguri (UniMaid) recently.

“He or she must be capable of multi-media presentation and use of other story telling tools.  The audience has become more sophisticated and needs to be reached and engaged through social media accounts with sizable followership,” he added.

While delivering a paper titled, ‘Journalism Practice in the 21st Century’ at the Twin Lecture Theatre of the school, Olarenwaju, noted that the new media has disrupted the traditional journalism practice, hence the need for journalists to be receptive to developments if they must avoid becoming  redundant.

“There is the challenge of catching up with new technology and skills needed to do our job now as required. Not only has new technology demystified traditional media’s age-long claim of being gate keepers and turned journalists into purveyors of stale information, the economic recession is gradually strangulating media operations with massive layoffs and poor or non-payment of salaries,” he said.

The media practitioner explained that both the sale of newspapers and advertising are at an all-time low, with what most media houses generate being inadequate to meet many other obligations apart from salaries.  He said the cost of production is also skyrocketing with many components needed to be imported with scarce foreign exchange.

“There is also the recurring question of the internet that kill newspapers. I don’t think the print media will disappear totally, but what I am sure of is that many more newspapers and magazines in Nigeria and in other parts of the world will fold up as they are already doing.

“And instead of living in denial about our precarious circumstance or dismissing the threat of the new media, there is an urgent need by all to take our destiny in our hands, especially for those of us who don’t know any other thing to do than journalism.

Mr. Olarenwaju, advised students of Mass Communication to start building their multi-media capacity right from school campuses if they desire to actualise their dreams of becoming full-fledged journalists after graduation.

Aminu Mamagi is a 100-level Mass Communication student at UniMaid

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