The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has challenegd Editors in the media industry to refocus their energy towards creatiing compelling, engaging and impactful contents, in line with the needs of their audiences rather than just being satisfied with assigning, reviewing, rewriting and processing of words in the discharge of their duties.
The Editors said this at the 16th All Nigerian Editors’ Conference (ANEC 2020) held,last Thursday, via ZOOM.
In a communiwue issued at the end of the novel one-day event, and signed by its President, Mustapha Isah, and Secretary, Mary Atolagbe, the NGE said that innovation, creativity and resilience were needed now more than ever before to enable Editors meet the yawning aspirations of their readers and audiences, especially because of the trappings of the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
The communique reads, “Consequent upon the exigencies of the moment, the 16th annual conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, held via Zoom, with a view to deliberate on ways and means of sustaining operations of players in the media industry, in the face of the global Covid-19 pandemic which has adversely impacted on their survival.
“At the end of the one-day conference, with the theme: ‘Media, People and Covid-19: How to Create Sustainability in the Digital Era’, Editors explored new ways to create contents, with aesthetics and overall values, that would help sustain media as a business in the country.
“The conference, chaired by a Fellow of the Guild and Chairman of Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust newspapers, Alhaji Kabiru Yusuf, resolved as follows: Editors expressed the need for media professionals to rethink their roles from just assigning, reviewing, rewriting and processing of words to creating compelling, engaging and impactful contents, in line with the needs of their audiences.
“This has become necessary, if they are to be relevant and remain in business in the age of digitalisation and global Covid-19 pandemic.
“Editors should begin to think as marketing officers and develop well researched products that will respond to yearnings of the people across all segments of the economy at all times.
“That media business is about people at all levels, therefore practitioners should be less obsessed with government officials and focus on people-centre reporting in order to generate the needed resources for the sustainability of media industry.
“Media practitioners are advised to adopt creative use of new technologies to generate revenue, by employing programmers, data scientists, information and communications technology specialists, as part of the demands of the new normal.
“Regular capacity building interventions are necessary to ensure that the knowledge and content provided are relevant and applicable to the needs of the reading public.
“The conference emphasised that while there are several options for making money through digitalisation of media businesses, it is almost impossible to make a living without a large following. Therefore, efforts should be made to connect with the people, improve aspects of readers’ lives and obsess more with the audience through creative contents.
“While identifying huge potential in archiving photographs and offering of transcripts as reliable means of generating new streams of income, it canvassed for fresh air in the media space through the use of creative headlines.
“Recommendation was made for periodic engagement with media audiences and communities to find out about their habits and preferences in order to create engaging contents for the consumers.
“It called for institution of reward system for audiences, in return for loyalty and enduring relationship”, the communique added.
During the conference, the Editors remembered and observed a minute silence for members of the Guild who passed away in the last one year.
They are, a former NGE President, Malam Wada Maida; Mrs. Ronke Fajemirokun of BCOS, Ibadan; the General Manager, Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, Abeokuta, Mr. Diji Akinhanmi; the Editor, New Telegraph on Saturday, Waheed Bakare; the Editor, Triumph Newspapers, Kano, Malam Musa Ahmed Tijjani; and a retired NTA staff, Abba Ado Gwarzo.
The Editors also expressed appreciation to its partners for the support in ensuring the success of the first-of-its-kind (virtual) conference of the Guild.

By: Nelson Chukwudi