Dangote Charges Journalists On Professionalism, Ethical Standard

The President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has charged media practitioners to embrace professionalism and high ethical standard in the discharge of their duties.
He gave the charge in Abeokuta at the end of a three-day training for journalists from across the South-West geo-political zone in the country.
The three-day training with the theme “The Convergence Journalism” organised by Folio Media and Creative Academy, is sponsored by the Dangote Group.
Dangote, who was represented by the Senior General Manager, Branding and Communication, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Sunday Esan, said the role of the journalists was very critical in the society.
He said that both the governed and the government rely solely on the media for information to better the society.
The renowned businessman said media practitioners should always stick to the professional ethics in order to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the society.
Dangote said that his conglomerate had sponsored the training to prepare journalists for modern day expectation in view of the evolution of the social media.
Some resource persons at the training also advised journalists to cultivate entrepreneurial spirit and skills in the use of new technology to remain relevant in the industry.
They urged practitioners not to lose sight of marketing their job, while professional ethics remained sacrosanct.
A Communication and Brand Management expert, Dr Victor Ogwezzy, said marketing in the media was everybody’s business without which any media organisation would survive.
Ogwezzy, who is the Chief Responsibility Officer of B2B Matrix Limited, said media practitioners should be mindful of their personal survival and that of their organisation.
He recounted how some newspapers bothered less about marketing side of the business, adding that such newspapers are presently off newsstands and their workers thrown into the unemployment market.
Ogwezzy said journalists also have the responsibility to ensure that contents in their newspapers, radio and television are good enough to attract quality audience.
He added that some media organisations’ inability to pay their workers could be partly attributed to non-recognition of seriousness and importance of marketing in the media.