It’s time to sanitize mass media industry in Nigeria ~ Akande By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.

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It’s time to sanitize mass media industry in Nigeria ~ Akande
By;  Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.

Chairman of the first privately-owned radio station in Ibadan (Splash 105.5FM), Chief Adebayo Akande has advocated the sanitization of the mass media industry in Nigeria for editorial policies that border on integrity, fairness and truth.
Chief Akande made the call in Ibadan while delivering a lecture to mark this year’s International Day of Broadcasting organised by the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ).
He declared that without the needed sanitization, there cannot be ways of tackling the challenges and flaws preventing the mass media from promoting and ensuring good governance, adding that owners of media houses should always allow the professionals to run the business.
“Having professionals run the business also ensures that editorial policies are not petty, but rather steeped in a good understanding of how to affect the society better.
“Editorial policies should border on integrity, fairness and truth which will make any broadcast media acceptable, even by cronies,” he said.
Chief Akande added that “it is the onus of the media to be the voice and conscience of the people. When the media understand the pulse of the people and help champion the cause of the common man, a better climate for the media to flourish and operate is ensured.”
He pointed out that radio is the most potent medium of information dissemination as radio messages were simple and appealing to the people. Radio services are available and affordable to the people irrespective of their age, background and status in the society.
“Because the service is free and effective, it will ordinarily have a wide appeal. For that reason, Radio is potent. It is as free as the air we breathe and rain that comes in season”.
Speaking, the Oyo NUJ Chairman, Comrade Gbenga Opadotun said the day was a declaration of the United Nations and should be marked to showcase the importance of radio as an effective means of information dissemination.

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