UCJ KICKS OFF CONVENTION WITH PANELISTS PROGRAMME

Balogun Arafat

The Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan UCJ UI has started off her convention programme with a panel discussion on Saturday, 31st of August 2019 at the Faculty of Education large lecture theatre with the topic – The Reality of the Fourth Estate: A Tale of Victimization and Insecurity.

The moderator of the event, PLATO-Mr Amuda Bamidele introduced the panelists to include: Honorable Kehinde Bamigbetan, Lagos State commissioner for Information and strategy; Mayor Issac Brown, Fresh F.M broadcaster/ presenter; and Prof. O.B.C Nwolise of the department of political science.

Issues such as relating to the securing the lives of journalists on the job were discussed and it was made known that for security reasons, a journalist should only write an article based on facts and also, there is the need for a journalist to be brave, courageous and to work around facts.

Prof. Nwolise explained that when there is an article threatening the security of a journalist, there is the need to first reach out to the story(getting a source), reflect on the story(check the evidence) and balance( fact checking the story and the source).

Honorable Kehinde added “as a journalist, know your onions and do well not to expose yourself to security attacks”

Mayor Issac also added that when victimisation comes, be courageous; because for a journalist the threat is always there and also truth will always see you through.

The event also had the Professor Francis Egbokhare interpress debate quarter finals between various press club— Law press, Mellanby press, Pharmacy press, Tree club press, Rockite press and ADH-DHIRK in which they all made it to the next round except Rockite press and Law press.