Stakeholders in Osun urge sports journalists to uphold professionalism
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –
Stakeholders in the sports sector in Osun State have urged sports journalists to uphold professionalism, credibility and accuracy while maximising the opportunities provided by new media.
The stakeholders made the call at a seminar and decoration of patrons organised by the Osun State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Osogbo.
Delivering a lecture titled “Qualifications, Competence, Credibility: The New Path for Sports Journalists,” the Chairman of the NUJ Osun State Council, Dr Adeyemi Aboderin, urged sports journalists without certificates relevant to their professional progression to take advantage of programmes offered by the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ). He also encouraged those operating blogs and other online platforms to join the newly inaugurated Osun Online Media Chapel of the NUJ.
Speaking on “The Modern Sports Journalist: Tools, Truth and Trust in New Media,” the General Coordinator of the Ogunjobi Preseason Tournament and Media Manager of Nigeria Nationwide League One, Tunde Shamsudeen, urged sports journalists to maximise the opportunities provided by new media, emphasising that the speed of digital platforms should not come at the expense of accuracy.
The Chairman of the Osun Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ, Shina Abubakar, charged journalists to remain committed to investigative and balanced reporting, urging them to contact all parties involved in issues under investigation and give them an opportunity to respond before publication.
The General Manager of the Osun State Sports Council, Ademola Daini, called on SWAN to be proactive in its activities and urged members to ask questions on issues affecting sports development in the state.
The event also featured the decoration of four new patrons of Osun SWAN: businessman Olayiwola Olafiranye; proprietor of Dokkal Khairu FC, Adamu Mohammed; football enthusiast Timothy Folaranmi; and senior manager at an international FMCG company, Michael Omoge. They expressed appreciation for the honour and pledged their partnership and support for the association.
Earlier, the Chairman of Osun SWAN, Timothy Agbor, represented by his vice chairman, Seun Omolola, appreciated the founding fathers of the association for their contributions to its growth.
