Today’s Editors Must Be Up-To-Date Or – AMDF
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(Some participants at editors workroom organised by AMDF in Kaduna on Tuesday)
NIGERIA –
With the advent of technology and influx of information across the globe, editors and would be editors must be up to date in the task before them or give room for fake news writers, a consultant with Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF), Joseph Edegbo has said.
Though most of the reporters’ dream is to become editors, the position which is not necessarily a pleasant one, but carry a lot of burden to the State, owner, reader and own conscience, hence the need to brace up and be alive to one’s responsibility, Edegbo added.
Presenting a paper titled “The Editor” during the second edition of editors workroom organised by AMDF in Kaduna on Tuesday, Edegbo, a veteran journalist added that, an editor should be able to use the right words, punctuations and facts and figures in the discharge of his editorial responsibility as well as providing good mentorship to those under him as reporters.
Editors’ workroom or laboratory is an initiative of AMDF where editors from electronic, print and new media are brought together to discuss the trend in the profession as a way to learn and apply latest skills in what they do.
But then, while the editors are the critical gatekeepers, the reporters should also know that, the gatekeeping process begins with them.
“For an editor to carry out his responsibilities effectively, he/she must build a sense of responsibility towards “the State, the Proprietor, Readers, and his conscience.
“As editor, it is important to delegate authority and know how best to tap the available talents in his office; as no editor can possibly be an expert in all fields; while he also mentors people s/he works with”.
Edegbo enjoined Editors especially upcoming ones to “always improve on their vocabulary by continuous reading of books like novels and other well written articles especially, those written by renown editors.
“You should always learn to read about well accomplished editors and journalists, monitor other stations and paying special attention on how they report the same story you edited”.
One of the major issues highlighted during an interactive session was the poor output of stories; in structure and grammar recorded on most news mediums.
This was traced to an unhealthy influx of untrained people into journalism practice, low capacity among some professionals, laziness and nonchalance towards professional development on the part of many practitioners.
To address this, there is the need for journalists to continually develop their capacity and take positive steps that will make non professionals feel irrelevant in the profession.
AMDF contributed to this report.