Adesina, Ogunshola, Eke, Dogara call for responsible online journalism at GOCOP launch

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, and the Chairman of Zinox Group, Stan Leo Eke, have emphasised the need for responsible online journalism in the country.
Adesina and Eke spoke on Thursday at the launch of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), a body formed by professional journalists with not less than 10 years experience.
Adesina said the government of President Muhammadu Buhari knows the importance of online journalism, hence it is passionate about the standardisation of its practice.
He said in a speech he titled: “Let your light shine,” that the nation cannot do without online publishing, despite the realisation that it “can lift up or pull down an administration”.
He said the change that was witnessed in the country in the last elections had a chunk of the support from online publishing.
Adesina, however, said it has also been realised that online today has the good, the bad and ugly.
He referred to the arraignment of three bloggers for their decision to “bad or ugly”.
He said for this reason, practitioners now need to correct the lapses noticed among online publishers by continuously doing peer reviews.
He said owing to the challenges with online news platforms, people still do not trust them.
He said those who make use of online news platforms, according to research, take in the information provided but still wait till the following day for the “traditional media to validate it.
“That is the challenge the online media must overcome.”
Adesina said among other challenges are concocted stories and the use of foul language, adding: “People believe operating online gives them the liberty to use uncouth language. Do peer review. Be ready to defend any falsehood you write.
“Those who see online publishing as licence to do what is not right should be ready to pay for it. This association should be able to do a separation. Bad coin tends to drive good coin out of circulation. It is important an association like this should thrive, prosper and do peer review.”
Adesina said publishing is not adversarial always, adding: “Criticism is good for any government. This is our country.
The President’s image managers will be willing to work with the association.”
Eke, who was the Guest Speaker, said “in this age and time, no one can avoid online media”.
He said he told those who cared to listen 29 years ago when he launched desktop publishing that it was either you are in or out, but yet, a lot of people still do not understand that online publishing, and by extension business, has come to stay.
Eke said the future wealth of the country lies online.
He said with the distress in the economy, Nigerians should not be blind to the future wealth.
He said there was the need to “alter the equation fast”.
Eke said a lot of people took exception to his comment during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan that the failure of the government to pay attention to online publications was going to cost them the election.
He said the greatest fear was that if the Jonathan government returned to power, he may not be allowed to live peacefully in the country again, adding: “A lot of people forget that creating wealth is not about being in a particular location but what you have in your head.”
He said the administration forgot they rode on the power of the online media to come into power and they paid for it, adding: “President Muhammadu Buhari might be analogue, but he used the online to get elected.”
Eke said he has also been a victim of false reports by online publishers and bloggers, hence he advocated quality practice by practitioners.
He urged the Buhari administration to pay attention to the education sector not minding what it will cost and also work with major telecommunications service providers to provide Nigerians free internet service.
On his own, former Chairman of Punch newspapers, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, said “the practice of online journalism comes with its own responsibilities”.
Ogunshola said just like the traditional media, practitioners of online must be ready for the consequences of their actions whether good or bad.
To him, there must be minimum standards to be maintained by online publishers, especially if they want to be taken serious.
He said online news platforms must also be able to attract the same level of confidence people have in some of the newspapers that have credibility and balance.
Speaking against the backdrop of the attention he paid to the online arm of the Punch titles when he was chairman of the newspaper, he said: “I am one of those supportive of online media. At Punch as chairman, I recognised online. I wanted it alongside the hard copy. It is not for making money. So, if you think online publishing can make you rich, that is a mistake.
“Businesses where people are rich is where you have barrier to entrance. With phones, you can do online publishing, hence there is no barrier of entrance. Almost anybody can do it as you do not require too much money to start it. Since almost everybody can start it, you are not likely to make too much money from it.
“So, my encouragement is that in doing online publishing, you must have other goals, the main one being the interest to serve other purposes.”
Ogunshola said it was the failure to realise this that has led to some who claimed to be online publishers to go into blackmailing.
He said: “Some have entered into online publishing trying to make money by blackmailing individuals, thus giving online publishing a bad name.”
Ogunshola said it was in the light of this that he became excited when told about the existence of GOCOP.
He said he wished it had taken off long before the cyber crime law came into effect, arguing that he is not against the law punishing anyone that has erred knowingly.
He said if every online publisher comes to the realisation that interest is paramount and not making money, there would be fewer challenges to face.
He said like some traditional newspapers that die after a while, some of the online newspapers will also soon die, adding: “But if you have a cause for which you are publishing, you should be able to stay afloat. But if you are looking for wealth, you won’t be able to make it.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, in a goodwill message, said online newspapers have been of immense benefit to lawmakers.
Dogara, who was represented by Hon. Abdulrazak Namdzi, said it has helped to bridge the gap between lawmakers and their constituencies.
He said for lawmakers to reach their constituencies now is just a click away on the telephone or computer.
He, however, said there was the need to identify real journalists who are into the online business.
He encouraged newsmen to “use news that will promote democracy.”
Dogara also said the consciousness that there are online publications had gone a long way in checking corruption, adding: “People now know they are being watched.
“And since part of the 8th legislative agenda is to fight corruption and with the realisation that you cannot do it without the media, it is imperative for the House to work with online publishers.”
Dogara equaly called on journalists to help educate Nigerians about the functions and roles of the legislative arm of government.
The Director General of the Debt Management Office, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, congratulated GOCOP on its launch.
Nwankwo said the online news platform is a critical component of the development of the country.
He said over 55 per cent of what happens to a nation’s economy is about perception.
He said since that perception is largely created by the media, there is the need for online publishers to assist in doing global marketing for the country and the economy.
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta, said the formation of GOCOP was coming at a right time.
Represented by Hon. Isa Ozi-Salami, Nta said online journalists have “a great role to play in the tackling of corruption”.
He said online publishers can be valuable whistle blowers for the Commission.
He however cautioned against reporting falsehood.
Among other guests at the occasion were Bisi Kazeem, the representative of the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi; Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility of Airtel, Emeka Oparah; and Head of Communications, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Charles Aigbe.