Home / News / Online publishing comes with its own responsibilities – Ogunshola; as Adesina, Leo Stan Eke, harp on need for responsible online journalism
(L-R) Director General Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr Abraham Nwankwo, Member, House of Representatives Hon. Abdulrasaq Namdas, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Mr. Femi Adesina, former Chairman, Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola and President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers(GOCOP), Mr. Malachy Agbo, at the formal launching of GOCOP held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island in Lagos Thursday, 22/10/2015

Online publishing comes with its own responsibilities – Ogunshola; as Adesina, Leo Stan Eke, harp on need for responsible online journalism

..(L-r)  ,Special Adviser to the president (Media and Publicity) Mr Femi Adesina, Former Chairman Punch Nigeria Limited Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, and President Guild of  Corporate Online Publishers(GOCOP) Mr Malachy Agbo  Chairman Zinox Group Mr Leo Stan Ekeh at the Former Launching of (GOCOP) held at  Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island in Lagos yesterday 22/10/2015.
..(L-r) ,Special Adviser to the president (Media and Publicity) Mr Femi Adesina, Former Chairman Punch Nigeria Limited Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, and President Guild of Corporate Online Publishers(GOCOP), Mr Malachy Agbo, Chairman Zinox Group, Mr Leo Stan Ekeh at the official launching of (GOCOP) held at the Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island in Lagos Thursday

A former Chairman of the Punch newspapers, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, has said the practice of online journalism comes with its own responsibilities.

This is also as the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, and Chairman of Nigeria’s leading computer hardware indigenous company, Zinox Group, Mr. Leo Stan Eke, further emphasised the need for responsible online journalism in the country.

Ogunshola said just like the traditional media, practitioners of online journalism must be ready for the consequences of their actions whether good or bad.

Speaking, Thursday at the launch of an association, the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), formed by professional journalists who have taken to online publishing, Ogunshola said there must be minimum standards to be maintained by online publishers, especially if they want to be taken serious.

  (L-R) Director General Debt Management Office(DMO), Dr Abraham Nwankwo, Member, House of Representatives Hon. Abdulrasaq  Namdas ,Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Mr. Femi Adesina, former Chairman, Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola and President, Guild of  Corporate Online Publishers(GOCOP), Mr. Malachy Agbo, at the formal launching of GOCOP held at  Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island in Lagos yesterday 22/10/2015
(L-R) Director General Debt Management Office(DMO), Dr Abraham Nwankwo, Member, House of Representatives Hon. Abdulrasaq Namdas ,Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Mr. Femi Adesina, former Chairman, Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola and President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers(GOCOP), Mr. Malachy Agbo, at the formal launching of GOCOP held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island in Lagos yesterday 22/10/2015
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 some who claim 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.”

..(L-r)   President Guild of  Corporate Online Publishers(GOCOP) Mr Malachy Agbo, Special Adviser to the president (Media and Publicity) Mr Femi Adesina,Publisher and Editor in Chief Global patriot Newspapers Mr Simon Ibe, Managing Director The Eagle Online Mr Dotun Oladipo at the Former Launching of (GOCOP) held at  Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island in Lagos yesterday 22/10/2015.
(L-r) President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) Mr Malachy Agbo, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) Mr Femi Adesina,Publisher and Editor in Chief, Global Patriot Newspapers, Mr Simon Ibe, Managing Director, The Eagle Online, Mr Dotun Oladipo at the official launching of GOCOP, which held at the Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island in Lagos, Thursday

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.”

On their part, Mr. Adesina, and Mr. Stan Eke, emphasised the need for responsible online journalism in the country.

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.

He however said it has also been realised that online today has the good, the bad and the ugly.

He referred to the recent arraignment of three bloggers for their decision to engage in the “bad or ugly.”

He said to avoid these aberrations, practitioners need to continuously engage in peer review, so that people can much more trust on line media.

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, he stressed.”

Adesina said among other challenges are concocted stories and the use of foul language, adding: “some people believe operating online gives them the liberty to use uncouth language.

“Be ready to defend any falsehood you publish. 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 between the good and the bad.

“Bad coins tend to drive good coins out of circulation. It is important that an association like this should thrive, prosper and do peer review.”

Adesina also said that online publishing should not always be adversarial, adding: “Constructive criticism is good for any government.

“This is our country. The President’s image managers will be willing to work with the Guild.”

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 25 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 power and they paid for it, adding: “President Muhammadu Buhari might be analogue, but he used the online media 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, the wireless cloud, as this will empower the poor who voted him into power.

The 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 Namdas, said it has helped to bridge the gap between lawmakers and their constituents.
He said for lawmakers to reach their constituents 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, stressing that
newsmen should “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, DMO, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, in his goodwill message, congratulated GOCOP on its launch, pointing out that the online news platform is a critical component of the development of the country’s economy.
He said that over 55 per cent of what happens to a nation’s economy is about perception, noting that since 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, Barrister 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 the many guests that graced the occasion were the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina; the Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Eke; the Director, Corporate Communications & CSR of Airtel Nigeria, Emeka Oparah; Bisi Kazeem, who represented the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi; Head of Communications, United Bank for Africa, Charles Aigbe; President, South South South East Professionals, Emeka Ugwu-Oju; Head, Strategic Brand Management, Skye Bank, Nduneche Ezurike; Meksley Nwagboh of Guaranty Trust Bank; Akin Olaniyan of Zenith Bank; Nasir Ramon of United Bank for Africa; Alex Erons Okoh, Head, Public Communications, Bureau of Public Enterprises; Blessing Ejiofor, Communication Officer, Advocacy, Media & External Relations, UNICEF; Kola Adewole, Group Head, Engineering & Technology, Bank of Industry and Shola Adekunle, Social Media Manager, JSP Communications.

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