Opinion: How Not to Use New Media. By Rotimi Atere

Date: 2014-04-26

The advent of democracy in Nigeria, and the accompanying freedom of expression has opened up the information superhighway. Unlike in the past, the nature of information dissemination is no longer restricted to the conventional media (print and broadcast) but more readily, the social media (what is also known as the electronic media). The growing trend now is journalism online. Through the internet, the face of journalism is changing in the country. Kwara, as a unit of the Nigerian federation has had a fair share of this trend. From the pioneer Ilorin.info to others like Kwaraonline.com, Kwaralefro.com, kwaranews.com, Inside Kwara, e-kwara.com , Kwara Sight, Kwara Eagle, Kwara Facts and lately kwara247.com, the information super-highway has never had it so good!

Give it to them, these platforms have contributed in no small measure to the advancement of information dissemination in the state, a situation that has greatly enhanced informed citizenry with all the resultant benefits. But beyond the giant strides of a few of the above highlighted platforms, it is heart-rending that a new low is fast creeping into the hitherto vibrant landscape where the likes of Dr. Femi Akorede, Abubakar Baba Sulaiman, Yinka Ajia, Oniyanji Kunle Suleiman etc are exchanging credible ideas.

This then brings me to a piece posted by the administrator of the kwara247.com yesterday wherein Senator Gbemisola Saraki was cast in unprintable aspersions. The report, which does not have anybody’s byline, is so offensive that I can hardly revisit it in this article. It is titled: Gbemisola Saraki: Asewo Tofe Di Guvnor.” The article was but a degenerated level of personal attacks hauled by the platform against the person of Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, obviously for no other reason than that she doesn’t share the same political ideology with their paymaster.

The first thing that came to my mind on reading the article is: why? Why would whoever is behind the kwara247 go this low in his hatched job? Does he ever know the implication of going this acerbic against otherwise well meaning Kwarans like Sen. Gbemisola Saraki in the long run? Too many questions begging for answers, Walahi!

For whoever cares to know, Kwara247.com is owned and funded by a former Governor of Kwara State but allegedly managed by his ‘internet savvy’ media aide. To me, the fact that the website has a ‘face’, no matter how remote, should be enough reason why its administrator should thread softly. For his (or her?) information, the law is no respecter of his anonymity. If he believes he enjoys the anonymity offered by the social media, and as such has the license to go dirty, he is damn wrong! It will be better to reflect on the recent rising influence of online reporting and commentary and the resultant fact that more internet ‘journalists’ are jailed worldwide today than journalists working in any other medium.*

To Ilorin circle of online journalists, I urge you all to stand up and be counted in the fight against blackmail platforms like the kwara247.com. We cannot afford to allow junk journalists, hatched jobbers and blackmailers to foul the airspace for us. We must guard jealously against the antics of inexperienced jobbers who would not give a hoot when the chips are down. The future of journalism is online and we are now in a battle with the enemies from within who are using blackmail, vendetta and barefaced lies to redefine public discourse in the state.*

To the administrator of the kwara247.com, the image of the solitary blogger working at home in pyjamas may though be appealing, but when the knock comes on the door, he will be all alone and vulnerable.

Rotimi Atere 
System Controller, FAAN

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Umar Gunu     Alliance For Democracy     Orisun Igbomina     Sherif Sagaya     Sidikat Alaya     Ndakene     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Kwarareports     Onilorin     Amusement Park     Rotimi Atere     Kazeem Adekanye     Metro Park     Alagbado     Yusuf Aiyedun     Voices Of Tomorrow     Read With Me     SSA Youth Engagement     Hassan Oyeleke     Michael Ologundea     Ahmed \'Lateef     Share/Tsaragi     John Mayokun Dada     Funmi Salau     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     Raji AbdulRasaq     Jimba Babatunde     Kolawole Bashirat     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Popo-Igbonna     Onilu     Jaigbade Alao     Okin Malt     Ibrahim Oloriegbe     Belgore     AbdulHamid Adi     Bayo Onimago     Nigeria Customs Service     Saadatu Modibbo-Kawu     Marufat Oladosu     Adamu Atta     Omotosho     Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs     Abdulfatai Baakini     Isin     Olaoye B. Felix     Ilorin Muslim Community     Saliu Oluwole     Shuaib Boni Aliyu     Eghe Igbinehi     Omotoso     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Senior Staff Union Of Colleges Of Education     Obuh     Amule     Salman Jawondo     Yetunde Balogun     KWASIEC     Mustapha Akanbi     Sanitation Exercise     Taiwo Joseph     Offa Grammer School     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Kwara North     Okin Group     Micheal Imoudu     Ramadhan     Lucky Omoluwa     Olugbense     Elerin Of Adanla Irese     UTME     Old Oyo     Oyelere Oyinloye     Abdulwahab Oba     Lukman Adeloyin     Isiaka Saka Opobiyi     Musa Abdullahi    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Saka Saadu     Bolakale Ayo     Bluenile Associates     Tricycle Owners Association Of Nigeria     Idris Amosa Saidu     Aminat Omodara     Unicontinental Construction Company     Elerin Of Adanla     Oluwatoyin Lukman     John Olajide Adedipe     Henry Makinwa     Salman Suleiman     Kwara Polytechnic     Student Learning Support Helpline     Hussein Olokooba     Bello Abubakar     Mutawali     Adamu B. Yaqubu     Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement     Societe Generale Bank Of Nigeria     All Peoples Party     Ilorin Like-Minds     Kale Belgore     NIPR     Mohammed Danjuma     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     Firdaos Amasa     Femi Ogunsola     Kayode Zubair     Air Peace     Ajuloopin     Adeola Abraham     Nigerian Army     George Funsho Adebayo     Federal Allocation     Isiaq Khadeejah     Muftau Akanbi Oke     Ayobami Seriki     Al-Adaby     Crystal Corner Shops     Mohammed Abdulahi     Twitter     Gobir Organization Foundation     Samuel Adaramola     Femi Gbajabiamila     Durosinlohun Kawu     Taofeek Sanusi     Tunde Akanbi     Teachers Specific Allowance     Okin Group     Gabriel Fashanu     Yusuf Olaolu Ali     CT Ayeni     Kwara Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Ahmed Idris Mohammed     IEDPU     Muhammed Danjuma     Egbewole     Buhari     Hassan Abdulazeez Elewu     Alfa Yahaya Road     Adisa Logun     Olohungbebe     Raliat Islamic Foundation     Yaru     Valsolar Consortium     Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Gamji Members Association     Abdulrazaq Akorede     Kwabes     Damilola Yusuf Adelodun     Anilelerin     Saba Jibril     Ibikunle Ogunleye     Toun Okewale-Sonaiya     Ilesha-Gwanara     Noah Yusuf