+ As Sodium Group Boss Hosts SWEGOP Special Luncheon
Publishers of online news medium have been charged to always maintain ethical standards and promote quality contents.
Abisoye Fagade, an integrated marketing communication consultant, gave this charge while speaking at a launcheon organised by the South West Group of Online Publishers, SWEGOP in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Fagade is the Managing Director of the Sodium Group, a consortium of companies that specialises in marketing communications, media, consumer goods, hospitality, oil and gas.
He commended SWEGOP members and other online publishers for maintaining sound professionalism that appeals to international standards of journalism. However, he urged them to always be fair in their reports.
According to him, “As a professional, you should always balance your stories. Do not ever resort to blackmailing, it is the highway to ruining one’s career in journalism. Instead, keep exploring and publishing stories that will set agendas, which will enhance the progress and development of the society.
While charging the leadership of the association to always ensure proper training and retraining of SWEGOP members so as to eliminate quackery in journalism, the Ibadan-born media guru said SWEGOP should always protect and defend its members.
In his welcome address, the chairman of SWEGOP, Mr Olayinka Agboola, said the group which came into existence five years ago is an epitome of ‘ethical revolution’ in online journalism.
“Online publishing is not a tea party. Those of us who have been in the business in the past ten years will confirm this. It is a vocation that obliterates one’s view of socialising. It kills the professional’s social life. This is because one is on duty 24 hours, seven days”
Agboola maintained that the association will set a standard that will enhance practice of developmental journalism and ensure proper training and retraining of members to enhance professionalism.
The Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalist NUJ, Mr Demola Babalola, in his brief remark, commended the publishers and promised that they will be integrated into the union as a chapel very soon.
Babalola, who is also an online publisher, cautionend against frivolous and unethical practice of journalism.