The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has begged the media to back the Federal Government to battle insurgency and banditry in the country.
He disclosed this at the 2019 Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors at Ikeja, Lagos.
He urged them to aid the military and the current government’s effort to clean up the country and get rid of the violence in Nigeria.
His words, “As media practitioners, you have a responsibility to steer the government toward purposeful programmes and policies that would engender national, growth and cohesiveness.
“In this light, government expects the media to always advance the national cause by upholding the sanctity of peace, nationalism and the benefits of the pluralism of our society,”
The Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika also had her say.
Her words, “The rise of new media should be a reason for media practitioners to strategise on how to be relevant in the digital world.
“The 10th edition of the Information Society Report, published by the International Telecommunications Union in December 2018, noted that 51 per cent of the world’s population, that is 8.9 billion, are using the internet.”
“Of all the continents, Africa recorded the largest growth rate from 2.1 per cent of internet users in 2005 to about 24.4 per cent as at 2018.
“Indeed, this shows the importance of internet access and usage. With this increase, there is no gain saying that the practice of journalism has evolved, is evolving and will continue to evolve.
“With this surge, African media companies have no excuse not to be intentional about ensuring optimal use of their advantages in repositioning their editorial and business modules to remain relevant and profitable.”
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