“Those who use our work online; call them Google, call them Facebook, call them Instagram; those who use our work must pay for it. If we get payment for the work we do every day as journalists, we will be in a far better place.
“That is our first survival instinct that we must do either as a group, led by the NGE, or working with the government to ensure that our intellectual properties; what we do every day that is shared everyday on social media is paid for. That is the first step.”
This was the submission of the Chairman of Arise News, ThisDay Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena at the 2nd Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), today, July 30, in Lagos.
Nduka Obaigbena called on the federal government to come up with a law that would protect the use of intellectual properties of the media industry.
Speaking on the theme “Rapidly Changing Media Landscape: Media Survival Strategies,” Obaigbena said that the media should find ways to survive in the face of changing technological advancement.
According to him, one of the ways to ensure that the media survives in Nigeria is to ensure that intellectual properties (IP) of journalists are protected through legislations and they should be ready for the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“First is to have the laws changed, where intellectual property is recognized as an asset; we have to enable the IP, the work of your brain as an asset class, that asset class can be bankable, so you can raise money against it, and you can create value.
He called on the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris and Lai Mohammed, the immediate past minister of information to ensure that they pass a law that those who use media properties online are made to pay.
“The next step is to be prepared for AI, promote education, ensure good governance and all that.”
Obegbina advised journalists to engage the young generation audience in ensuring the survival of the media.
This was even as the founder of journalism clinic, Taiwo Obey, urged journalists to put context into news stories as well as meet their audience by finding out what they want and giving it to them in a way that they enjoy it.
Obey said that AI should not be seen as a threat, but an advancement that journalist must take advantage of.
Similarly, Kayode Akomolafe called for introspection on the part of journalists to ensure that their survival is guaranteed instead of engaging in a blame game.
He also called on journalist to build on their credibility as a means of staying relevant.
In her contribution, a former President of the NGE, Funke Egbemode, said that media houses would continue to find it difficult to survive if they keep doing what they have always been doing.
She said that if there must be a positive change, there must be cooperation among media practitioners.
“If we do not agree, no law can save us. If we are going to sell our content, we must sell our content as a group.”
She also called on journalists to ensure that they do something extra to every news as well as court the younger generation.
On her own part, Maureen Chigbo, President Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), stressed the need for media houses to cut the cost of production and ensure that they move with the time.
According to her, having a good corporate governance will help mitigate against excessive use of resources.
The lecture is held annually in memory of Lateef Jakande, the pioneer President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a former Governor of Lagos State.
