Ex-NIPR Charges Media On Industrial Dev

Operators in the media industry have been called upon to ensure that they use their various medium to promote industrial development in Rivers State, if they must attain the peak in their businesses.

Making this call while reacting to questions raised in a lecture titled “State Media: The Way Forward” being organised by the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC) recently, as she marked her 40th anniversary, the former President of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mr. Bobo Brown said that the media has a stake in promoting industrial development in the state.

He said that over dependence on government for funding and sustenance had actually affected the growth of some media establishment, pointing out that when there is the presence of many industries, the media will benefit tremendously.

According to him “These companies will have to place adverts on the various media to publicise their products and services, and they will also buy and read the newspapers”.

Brown who is also a vertran journalist posited that the media does not have the funding to be able to know the operations of the oil industry, particularly government operated media, adding that there is lack of training of media officers on oil exploration and industry operation for effective reporting.

He therefore urged the media to bridge the gap through establishing understanding with companies where the media will promote the operations of the industries through their medium, while these industries patronise the media thereby creating a balance.

Corlins Walter