Varsity Don Charges Online Journalists On Ethical Practice
A university don, Dr Tade Oludayo, PhD, has admonished online journalists and publishers across the country to embrace ethical journalism in order to gain public trust and also ensure peaceful co-existence in the society.
Oludayo, of the University of Ibadan, gave the admonition while speaking at the opening of a two-day workshop organised by the South-West Group of Online Publishers (SWEGOP), held at Ilaji Hotel and Resort, Akanran, Ibadan, on Friday.
The workshop was put together to promote ethical journalism in the face of the growing negative public perception of media practice, especially among some online practitioners across the country.
Oludayo, a Sociologist/ Criminologist, spoke on “Peace Journalism Through Online Reportage”, and said online media practitioners must imbibe professional and ethical standards in order to gain acceptance as a positive instrument of change in the society
“Journalism ethics, no doubt, seek to provide character and integrity to the media profession. It is important to ensure that media men are well guided to continue to play their roles through enhanced professionalism and engaging in ethical best practices.
“Putting out news item whose veracity and integrity are not established, no doubt, can erode the trust and credit of any medium,” he said.
The media expert cum university lecturer stressed that the people depend largely on the digital media to create images, form opinions and quite often get guidance on issues.
He said, by nature, journalism has direct impact on individuals, groups and institutions, adding: “Hence, practitioners have to be guided by some norms in the discharge of their responsibility of transmitting information accurately.”
The university don, however, highlighted the strengths of online journalism to include: unlimited space, global distribution, convergence (text, graphic and video), interactivity, immediacy and storage of retrieval.
He admonished online media practitioners to jettison reports that lack credibility, opinion-based, lack of ethical values, unbridled sensationalism, unsubstantiated opinions among others.
In his welcome address, SWEGOP chairman, Olayinka Agboola, described online journalism as indispensable in enhancing good governance.
He noted that the workshop was needed, considering the contemporary realities in the country and added that there is need for capacity building for online publishers to improve on the way they carry out their onerous assignments.
Participants at the maiden edition of the SWEGOP workshop, which comes to an end today, were drawn from Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states.
