Adeyemi Temitayo
The Director of Campus Press Hub (CPH), Adejumo Kabir, has advised campus journalists in Nigeria to know the basics of journalism.
Adejumo, a campus journalist at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, made the call when he visited the Media Career Development Network office Lagos on Wednesday.
Adejumo who relayed his experience as a campus journalist said campus journalists are free to operate provided they abide by the rules of the profession and the campus they are.
The author of Campus Journalism Beginners’ Handbook said that students need to understand the fundamentals of journalism so as to avoid mistakes made by their predecessors.
He also stated that the mistakes which sometimes gets the students into trouble prompted him to publish the book which is a guide for campus journalists.
“Campus journalists have actually improved compared to what we met on campus,” he said, adding that “Some campus journalists graduate today without looking for a job due to what they did on campus. Some report for different media organizations and get paid.”
The Director of CPH also said that “even if your institution does not run any press club or association to publish anything that does not mean you cannot start up your own.”
According to him, there are rules and regulations guiding the practice of journalism which every practitioner must abide with.
He also referred to chapter 22 of the Nigerian constitution, saying that there are dangers in every profession but journalists must abide by the rules.
While welcoming Adejumo to the Centre, Executive Director of MCDN, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin commended him for his commitment to training campus journalists in the country.
Otufodunrin also acknowledged that Adejumo’s beginners’ handbook offers a useful guide for present and future campus journalists on how to maximise their potentials.
“What you are doing is very commendable considering that you are still a student yourself and you deserve every support you can get to accomplish your dream of elevating campus journalism practice,” Otufodunrin stated.
