The Association of Campus Journalists, (ACJ), Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile Ife, on Saturday, May 6 celebrated its 50th anniversary along with an International Campus Journalism Conference.
The glamorous event at the campus had in attendance top media practitioners, campus journalists from other institutions and the members of the association with a discussion on the theme, Media Literacy and Digitalization: Past, Present and Future.
The 50th anniversary is indeed worthy of celebration considering the accomplishments of the association and its members over the years on and off the campus which the first female President, Faith Alofe reiterated in her welcome address.
Not only has ACJ OAU been a model for best practices in campus Journalism, but its former members are among some of the best journalists in the country, including the keynote speaker at the conference, Publisher of Premium Times, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi.
It’s noteworthy that until the current semester, the institution did not have a department of media studies, but through programmes and activities of ACJ, it has become a viable training ground for aspiring journalists and other media professionals.
We commend the association and urge the present and future members to continue to be role models in the practice of campus journalism and also seek to expand the frontiers of information dissemination on campuses and beyond.
The pledge by the president that the association reaffirms its commitment to the pursuit of truth, accuracy and objectivity is reassuring against the background of concerns about the use of media platforms to spread false information.
The members in their various content should hold the school authorities accountable to the students and staff and promote the overall development of the institution.
The association will benefit from more support from its alumni and other organizations in terms of training and resources to accomplish more in the years to come.
READ ALSO: Redefining Journalism education in Nigeria