Journalists tasked on social media usage

Category: News Published on Thursday, 07 February 2013 05:00

Nigerian Journalists have been warned against being complacent on the emerging roles of social media and to ensure they understand how the new technologies affect the way they gather, process and distribute information.

Executive Director of the Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Edetaen Ojo and the International Press Centre (IPC) Director, Lanre Aregundade gave the advice yesterday at the on-going Social Media retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State with the theme: “Using Social Media for Improved Democratic Governance and Citizen Participation” organised by the Democratic Development Project II (DGDII Project), the European Union, the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Youth Action Initiative Africa (YAIA).

Ojo who spoke on “Journalism Practice in the Age of Social Media: New Tools, New Skills” said that the environment where journalism is now practicing differs in many ways from 20 to 30 years ago, adding that the adoption and use of digital technologies in the collection, editing, publishing and distribution of news and information has fundamentally changed the way journalists traditionally practised.

“New media is not just creating new channels for the distribution of journalistic products it is also re-defining existing media and altering journalistic practice both in procedure and editorial content. We have learned skills that have been used by us and others for decades, but which might be unsuitable for the future. Many of us, including those who have achieved some measure of success in the profession, are equipped with skills which may shortly be obsolete. We have to know what skills we need to adapt to these changes if we are to remain relevant & able to function in this new world,” he said.