Buhari won't demand 'killing' of stories - Adesina

ITRealms:

The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has reassured Nigerians and media practitioners that his principal, would not request any journalist to ‘kill’ stories for him, reports ITRealms.

Speaking at the weekend at a dinner hosted the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Adesina said that instead, the administration would encourage newsmen to run stories that will critically examine the workings of government and provide it with the way forward.

President of GOCOP, Mr. Malachy Agbo, was quoted in a press statement available to ITRealms as saying that Adesina gave this assurance on Thursday at a dinner held for him and other presidential spokesmen by the online publishers.

Agbo also said that at the dinner hosted by GOCOP members were the Senior Special Assistant on Media to President Buhari, Malam Garba Shehu, and the Senior Special Assistant in the Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande.

In his remarks, Adesina said the first thing the President told him when he assumed office was “Always tell me the truth,” stressing that Buhari was emphatic when he equally told him that as a General he loved to argue, but would always bow to superior arguments.

"The President told me 'Please do not fail to argue with me,'" Adesina who is one of GOCOP Trustees said, insisting that Buhari has vowed to run an open and transparent government so much that he would have nothing to hide and would have no cause to want to ask for any story to be ‘killed’.

Equally he revealed that the only thing Buhari asked is that for any news item, the Presidency should be allowed the opportunity to state its side before being putting same in the public domain or the going to press.

Adesina applauded the online publishers for coming together to form a group, advising GOCOP to look out for spoilers, gate crashers and those who might hide under the canopy of online publishing to damage the reputation of innocent public officers.

"There is a saying that one bad coin can spoil hundreds of other coins. My advice is that you should not allow any of your members to use the platform to malign innocent people. You should also find a way of sanitising the social media practitioners who just sit in their bedrooms to churn out news without professional touch," he counselled.

Also speaking, Garba Shehu expressed thanks to GOCOP for the support they gave him when he handled the media and publicity department of All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council as Director.

According to him, the APCPPC was the poorest in terms of resources, “but the richest in terms of people’s goodwill. And the online publishers were the greater part of that process."

Similarly, Laolu Akande, acknowledged the contributions of online media and social media in the actualisation of the Buhari Presidency. 

He advised Nigerians to adopt the government as their own because “this is the change we have been talking about.”

Welcoming GOCOP guests earlier, Agbo assured the presidential spokesmen of the support and cooperation of the members, even as he appealed to them to always make themselves available for any news item that requires clarification.

He was confident that members of GOCOP, who are veterans in the journalism profession, would continue to support them with prayer to achieve success in their assignments.

Several other GOCOP members who spoke at the occasion commended the presidential media team for recognising the important role of the online media in modern information dissemination and appealed to them to keep it up.

+ITRealms DSA +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 

 
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GOCOP dinner: L-R: Senior Special Assistant on Media to the President, Malam Garba Shehu; Special Adviser on Media to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina; and the President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Malachy Agbo, at the dinner for the presidential spokesmen. 

Adesina advises media to learn from 2015 general elections reportage

PR@ITRealms:

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina Thursday formally presented the report of the media coverage of the 2015 general elections to the public with a call on the media practitioners to digest and learn from the recommendations.

 

Mr Adesina who spoke in Abuja while presenting the book, “Reportage of 2015 Elections: Monitoring Scorecard of Print and Online Media”, enjoined the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) to ensure that it is widely circulated.

The project jointly undertaken by the International Press Council (IPC) and the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) was funded by donors- EU, UKAid, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development under the Democratic Governance fore Development (DGD) Project managed by the UNDP.

According to the Presidential Media Adviser, it was good that the 2015 electoral process was measured and evaluated, saying it would guide media practitioners in the coverage of future elections.

While noting that there were lapses in the media reportage of the last general elections, Mr Adesina however, posited that "the negatives and positives are work in progress”.

The UNDP’s Media Advisor, Mrs Toyin Gabriel, who also represented the DGD Project Director, expressed delight that after a long process, the IPC and NPC were able to produce a world class report that can stand the test of time.

She said the project was undertaken meticulously with a view to proving that there are Nigerian institutions that can deliver high value project. 

Mrs Gabriel said the stake was very high to deliver a product that the sponsors can be proud of and thanked the contributors for a job well done.

In his review prior to the presentation, the Director, International Press Centre, Mr Lanre Arogundade, said the scope of the project covered six-month period from November 2014 to April 2015.

He said 12 national newspapers were monitored during the period. They were- Daily Sun, The Nation, National Mirror, Vanguard, The Punch, ThisDay, Daily Independent, The Guardian, Nigerian Tribune, Daily Champion, Leadership and Daily Trust.

Also monitored were 10 regional newspapers - Nigerian Chronicle, Daily Star, Nigerian Observer, Nigerian Pilot, Abuja Inquirer, Peoples’ Daily, Blueprint, The Gleaner, Desert Herald, and Fresh Facts.

In addition, four online newspapers- The Tide, The Cable, Sahara Reporters and Premium Times as well as three social media platforms - Enough-is-Enough Nigeria, Reclaim Naija and INEC were monitored.

Mr Arogundade said “The period covered meant that it was possible to assess the performance of the concerned media outlets, prior to, during and immediately after the elections in the five topical areas of use of sources, conflict sensitivity, language use, coverage of issues and coverage of the election management body”.

 

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms)
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NGE biennial convention 2015: FBN Capital boss advises media practitioners on personal finance

ITRealms:

The Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of FBN Capital Asset Management, Mr. Michael Oyebola has listed benefits of personal financing savings to media practitioners, reports ITRealms.

Speaking at the 2015 Biennial Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors which ended in Lagos Saturday, on the theme “Personal Finance: Beyond Editing: Investing for a secure future” Mr. Oyebola described personal finance as the financial management required by an individual or a family unit to obtain, budget, save, and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events.

According to him, there five key steps involve in ensuring a successful personal finance scheme, namely by doing an assessment of one’s assets and liabilities including income and spending habits. So, also is goal setting for both short and long term financial objectives.

Mr. Oyebola equally listed planning, executiving and monitoring as the remaining three key steps, stressing that by creating a plan to accomplish one’s goals, there is need to have a good execution strategies, which involves saving and investing money appropriately to make certain the “money works for you”.

The monitoring and reassessment of these investments, he said, must align with the objectives of the fund owner to ensure and apply possible adjustments and revision where necessary.

“Personal Finance is for everyone, not only for the rich,” he declared, stressing that potential fund owners need to focus on how much they save rather than how much earned. 

“As long as you earn something, no matter how small, you can personally plan for your future. Personal Finance is for everyone! We all can and SHOULD get onboard with personal financial management – it is a necessity of life,” he said.

Just as the management of income helps in understanding how much money one will need for a given period like monthly expenditures and savings.

He charged media practitioners to be prudent in cash flow management and spending, noting that careful budgeting could be an asset to keep more of hard earned cash.

Pointing out that an increase in cash flow, could lead to an increase in capital, thus allowing the consideration for investments to improve overall financial well-being.

Making provision for family security, he said, is an important part of the financial planning process, in addition to having the proper insurance coverage and policies in place could provide peace of mind for breadwinners and loved ones as well.

“A proper financial plan considers your personal circumstances, objectives and risk tolerance. It acts as a guide in helping choose the right types of investments to fit your needs, personality, and goals,” he said.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +FBN Capital Limited  +Oreoluwa Ettu 

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