THE University of Lagos (UNILAG) Mass Communication Alumni Association (UMCAA) President, Chief Lawson Omokhodion, has rated Nigeria’s mass media low in their news reporting and impact on the profession, stating that they are simply on the sidelines.
Omokhodion, who stated this yesterday in Lagos at a press conference to announce the First Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) of the association with the theme: ‘The Mass Media: Setting The Nigerian Agenda’, billed for Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Yaba, Lagos, said that the media need to get back to the basis, embrace and institutionalise those values that make them the voice of the masses and hope for the ordinary man on the street.
The maiden edition of the lecture, which will be delivered by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Channels Television, John Momoh, also has some discussants such as Managing Director (MD) of Independent Newspapers, Ted Iwere; former MD of Zenith Bank, Steve Omojafor; House of Representatives member and Chairman, Committee on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri; with former Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, and Chairman, The Guardian Editorial Board, Prof. Wale Omole, among others. Omokhodion said that the aim of the lecture is to refocus the pivotal role of the Fourth Estate of the realm in nation building.
According to him: “The DLS is an avenue that UMCAA aspires to use to bring order to our industry, influence public opinion towards positive growth in Nigeria and draw attention of the public to the enviable credentials of the UNILAG Mass Communication Department.”
