Be Objective In Your Reportage At The Grassroots, Lagos Govt Charges Community Media
By Rasaq Adebayo
The Public Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs has charged Community Media Practitioners in Lagos State to be objective and factual with news reporting in their communities.
Addressing the participants, Assistant Director, Public Affairs Unit of the Ministry, Kehinde Adebayo, said the event was in line with Sanwo-Olu’s agenda of bringing governance closer to the people and strengthening as well as cementing the relationship between the Government and the grassroots through the Community Media across the State.
He said it is also to ensure that there is effective and efficient information dissemination to the grassroots in the State.
Adebayo noted that it would not have been possible without the approval of the State Governor.
He said: “This interactive session would not have been held without the gracious approval of Mr Governor; Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, who sees the pivotal role that Community Media Practitioners play in disseminating information at the grassroots; hence my deepest gratitude to Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for his approval of this interactive session.
“Surely, he is a man driven by purpose and concern for the grassroots. Having seen ahead of time the damage false information and repertoire can do to the image of the State, thus the need to tell our stories ourselves rather than have someone do it for us.
“The role of Community Media cannot be over-emphasised, hence the need for this periodic capacity building training for practitioners.”
Reeling out the aims of the interactive session, he explained: “The sole aim of this august gathering is to enable practitioners to project the programmes, activities, and policies of the government in a manner easily understood by the public.
”To the participants here present, I want to assure you that seasoned facilitators are here to equip you with the tools needed to engage in the best practices as Community Media Practitioners; and I believe that it would be an interesting interactive session for brain-racking deliberations.
“Today, you will be exposed to modern media practice in news dissemination and you will acquire knowledge on best practices in News Reporting and media relations with the government and the communities you represent,” he said.
Earlier, Mr. Yomi Adejumo who doubles as Publisher, Festac Weekly and President of the Association of Practitioners of Community Media (APCOM), thanked the Ministry for its efforts in putting the practitioners on their toes.
He lauded the administration of Governor Sanwo-Olu for identifying with the practitioners despite all odds.
He said: “I appreciate the Ministry for its unflinching support and affection for the Community Media Practitioners.”
He reminded the Ministry of APCOM’s upcoming event tagged, “Community Media Summit” billed for August 15, 2023, in Ikeja, Lagos where he said the practitioners will converge to socialise, network, and learn new ideas about their profession.
He reiterated the decision of the practitioners to partner with Governor Sanwo-Olu in information dissemination, especially at the grassroots.
“We have decided to partner with you to organise a Community Media summit to ignite our members. This is to enable us to tell our stories better,” he added.
Also speaking, the Senior Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Alabi Victor, charged the practitioners to seize the opportunity of various social media handles to tell their stories.
He urged them to disseminate the achievements of Mr. Governor to the grassroots.
