By Lekan Otufodunrin
Journalism teachers should stop telling their students that studying Mass Communication is equal to signing a pact with poverty.
I just read My Dossier: A celebration of 20 years in Christian Journalism by Wole Olarinde, publisher of Christian Benefit Magazine in which he recalled what one of his lecturer at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Adewun Ogundoyin campus, Eruwa told the first class on Introduction to News writing in 1990.
“If you are dreaming of becoming a millionaire, go to the Department of Marketing, you can go to the Department of Purchasing and Supply.
“But if you want to be in the Department of Mass Communication to be a journalist, be prepared to be poor. Journalists are not millionaires but paupers,” the lecturer stated.
Due to the kill-joy, kill-passion and kill-destiny counsel of the lecturer only 35 of the 90 students offered admission into the Mass Communication department stayed back at the end of the first year.
I’m aware some lecturers still, unfortunately, give this ‘dooms career’ advice to their students. Even many journalists believe this statement and therefore don’t aspire to be as rich as they can legitimately.
If the basis of studying any course is becoming millionaires, I wonder how many disciplines can guarantee such fortune.
Becoming a millionaire or very rich is a function of many things beyond the courses students’ study, especially in this age when your certificate does not necessarily determine what you will do for a living.
If many other professionals from courses supposed to make them millionaires have become successful journalists and media professionals why are lecturers and even old journalists discouraging Mass Communication students with their own experience?
It’s true that many media houses don’t pay well, but how many professionals get paid what can make them millionaires or very rich.
Salaries paid to all civil servants, for example, irrespective of their course of study are the same, including Mass Communication graduates. Journalism skills are needed in other sectors than the media and for some people, being a journalist is the stepping stone they need to accomplish greater things.
There is more to life than becoming millionaires and it is wrong to keep reinforcing the wrong values instead of allowing students learn the courses they have natural talents for and give them the opportunity to maximize potentials those who graduated before them may not explore.
Being a journalist is no more about writing He said, He Added, He noted, we need to teach journalism students new skills that will equip them to compete favourably in a digital age.
Here is my advice for every journalist in this statement by Daniel Kilinaki, General Manager, Editorial at the Nation Media Group in Uganda while speaking #DineWithFourthEstate in 2018: “Move quickly, slowly, Hustle but don’t believe the hype that journalists are supposed to be poor.”
If only one journalist will be rich, let it be you.