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.

Yahaya Abdulkareem     Saliu Ajibola Ajia     SARS     Kayode Bankole     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     Kehinde Baale     Saadu Yusuf     Olatunji Abdulmumeen     Mike Omotosho     Oju Ekun Sarumi     Olokoba Abdullahi Ayinla     Eghe Igbinehin     Ghali Alaaya     Yusuf Lawal     TVC Female National Debate     KWASEIC     Demola Banu     Surajudeen Akanbi     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Wahab Isa     Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke     Gbemi Saraki     Oke-opin     Ajuloopin     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Agbarigidoma     Abdulkarim Adisa     Bolakale Kawu Agaka     United Nigeria Airline     Facebook     Saidu Isa     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Adamu Atta     Ganmo Power Sub-Station     Azeez Salawu     Kwara State Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Hauwa Nuru     Henry Olaosebikan     Femi Agbaje     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Ishola Abdullahi     Sunday Popo-Ola     Saka Onimago     Abdulwaheed Musa     Sardauna Of Ilorin     Jimoh Akani     Salake     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     KwaraLearn     Igbomina     John Dara     Kayode Laro     Abdulhakeem Amao     Hakeem Idris     Congress For National Consensus     Ibrahim Sulu Gambari     Kayode Issa     Abdulraheem Olesin     Bayer Nigeria Limited     Umar Adelodun     Air Peace     Lawal Olohungbebe     Olaoye B. Felix     Yahya Mohammed     Tsaragi-Share     Habeeb Saidu     Kisra     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     Oba Abdulkadir La\'aro     Kwara Restoration Project     Isau     Agor     Bello Abubakar     Akume     Sarakite     Elese Of Igbaja     Zulkifli Ibraheem    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

AGM Professional Services     RTEAN     SAPZ Project     Sodiya     Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Madawaki     Samuel Olusegun Adedayo     Ayodele Shittu     Alfa Yahaya Road     KWASAA     Tosho Yaqub     MalHub     Wahab Kunle Shittu     Mansurat Amuda-Kannike     CBT     Ganmo Electricity Sub-Station     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     March 18     MATTA Girls Foundation     Segun Olawoyin     Paul Olawoore     Issa Memunat Moyosore     Rasaq Jimoh     Unilorin     Gabriel Fashanu     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     Valsolar Consortium     Otuka     Ramadan     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Kwara Poly     Manzuma     Moshood Mustapha     Jimba Babatunde     Folaranmi Aro     Umar Ayinla Saro     Kolawole Bashirat     Omotoso Musa     Illyasu Abdullahi     Kayode Zubair     Fatai Adeniyi Garba     Mohammed Khadijat Kubura     Amosa     Maryam Ado Bayero     Sobi FM     Maryam A. Garuba     Raji Ayodele Kamaldeen     CCB     Mazars Consulting     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Demola Banu     Bola Shagaya     State Bureau Of Internal Revenue     Ajasse-Ipo     Afusat Nike Ibrahim     Busari Alabi Alausa     Muhammed Danjuma     Kehinde Baale     Solomon Edojah     Societe Generale Bank Of Nigeria     Saliu Shola Taofeek     Bayo Ojo     Omotosho     Chief Of Staff     Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye     Binta Sulyman     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Lotus Bank     Shonga     Kola Bukoye     TIC     Olusola Saraki     Adamu Attah     Bayo Onimago     Olokoba Abdullahi Ayinla     Tescom.kwarastate.gov.ng