By Chikaodi Chukwuleta
Ikenga Media and Cultural Awareness Initiative (lMCAL), publishers of lkengaonline has advised students of Mass Communication to see journalism as a rewarding profession.
Delivering a keynote address with theme, ‘Building a Satisfying Career in Journalism’, at a mentoring workshop for Mass Communication students in Anambra and Enugu States, held in Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna Legacy Hall, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, the Editor-in Chief of lkengaonline, Mr Uche Ugboajah said the essence of the sensitization was that many communication students do not see journalism as rewarding.
He pointed out that a greater number of them seem to opt for advertising and public relations which they consider more profitable.
Ugboajah stated that if it continues, there will be nobody practising journalism knowing that it has consequences in governance and has a role to play in the society.
He noted that without journalism, the country is in danger .
According to him, “Ikengaonline, for the past three years, has helped in building the capacity of journalists in the South East in training and workshop, with the support of the MacArthur Foundation, through Wole Soyinka Centre for investigative Journalism (WSClJ) to promote good governance through media independence and ethical journalism in the country.
Deputy Vice chancellor, Paul University, Prof.Stella Okunna and Head of Department of Mass Communication of the same university, Prof. Chinwe Uzochukwu, admonished the students to see journalism as a profession despite acquiring degree from other professions, noting that the workshop will enable them go a long way in life.
Executive Director of Media, Information Literary and Inter-Cultural Dialogue Foundation, Chiamaka Okafor, said the workshop was an opportunity for those in the South East to explore what journalism entails and embrace journalism as a good profession.
She said that everybody was not a journalist and admonished the students to always abide by the ethices of journalism and aviod misinformation and be media information literacy friendly.
One of the resource persons, Uzor Maxim Uzoata added that journalism is a demand profession, guided by ethics .He advised the students to always go striaght to the point when writing their stories, pointing out that journalists are the fourth estate of the realm and the foresight of the government that keeps government in check and exposes their loot .
He emphasised on the important of protecting the source of stories and victims and need to balance a story in terms of sensitivity and objectivity.
“Present facts and get information right as a journalist. Don’t allow jobleness to frighten you. Always protect yourself. There is no news writing that is more important than your life.”
A 400 level student, Chinaza Okorafor, from Paul University and Nwoma Chukwubuikem Jackson, 100 level student who were beneficiaries said they learnt that a journalist is a person who is trained in the professional ethics of journalism.
The media giant during the event trained over ninety students.
Highpoint of the event is presentation of certificates to the students.
