He said this during the first Paper Presentation tagged ‘Best Practices in Radio Broadcasting Content Production’ at the Workshop for Community Radio Broadcasters, held on Tuesday 14th May, 2024 at Hawthorn Suites, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
Speaking, Mr Salem Akindele Rock reiterated the importance of News in his presentation calling it the most popular programmes format globally. He asserted that News is an indisputable format/item in broadcasting that cannot exist on it’s own.
He further defined News as a timely dissemination of information about developments that are happening or will happen in the future, reported by a professional and found interesting by the general public.
Highlighting some of the Characteristics of News, which include Timeliness, Relevance, Proximity, Accuracy, Integrity, Objectivity, Impact, Fairness & Impartiality, Respect for Privacy, Transparency & Accountability and Public interest, the speaker, stressed on the ethical issues faced within journalism that informs the guidelines and principles that make it imperative for journalists to adhere to.
While stressing on the importance news play within a democratic society, such as informing the public, mode of dialogue, holding authorities and individuals accountable, as well as, cultivating a well-informed citizenry, Dr. Salem concluded that Community radio plays a greater role in assisting the masses to make informed decisions and challenged them to embrace Ethical Journalism above everything else.
In her presentation, Dr. Abiodun Ogidan noted, that community radio is a communication strategy tool for increasing democratic participation and has characteristics of solving problems of inclusiveness and lack of public deliberation.
She called on the operators of community radio stations to plan their programmes in other to meet the needs of their audience. Adding, that programme planning/scheduling is an avenue to plan on a quarterly basis new content for radio stations.
Furthermore, the speaker urged the operators of community radio stations to live up to the expectation of becoming respected instruments that guarantee the right of freedom to hold opinions without interference, engage issues so that citizens can seek, receive and source information and ideas through their platforms, as well as, take advantage of digital technology to ease its operations and checkmate unethical practices within the community radio operations and content.