A veteran journalist and former editor with The Tide, Dr Alpheaus Paul-Worika, last Friday launched a new tabloid, the Vortex Newspaper in Port Harcourt.
Speaking to The Tide at the event held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Press Centre in Port Harcourt, Dr Paul Worika stated that he was inspired to float the paper due to an observed shift and decline in content, quality, efficiency and reliability, among others in today’s newspapers
Worika, however, noted that he was determined to bring his wealth of experience and knowledge as an editor in a media house for so many years to bear in his new undertaking, adding that he was back to better the industry and as part of his own way to give back to the society.
“I am a newspaper man, a journalist by calling and retired civil servant. As part of my own way to give back to the society, the knowledge and experience gathered over the years and to do it in a very different way because there has been a shift and decline in the newspapers that we came to meet and I feel that things can be done better in terms of reliability, efficiency, quality and content,” he said.
He explained that newspapers would always stand the test of time due to some of thier qualities that make them very important despite the new digital age, the internet and social media, adding that newspaper documentation was very vital, particularly when its content makes more than average sense to the reader and not just reading and dropping it.
According to Paul- Worika, “A time there was, not too long ago, when newspaper held the forte of influence in many spheres. Through newspapers, many cultural and national institutions were built and sustained; and various forms of governments were enthroned and dethroned.”

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana