JOURNALISTS from across the nation's tertiary institutions converged at the university auditorium of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State, last week for a national writing conference, which was organised by the host institution's Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ), with the theme Nigerian Campus Journalism: Renaissance and Reformation.

Speakers at the three-day conference included the Director, African Liberty Organisation, Thomas Adedayo; Benjamin 'Dairo Oyinloye; Dr Mahfouz Adedimeji of the Department of English, UNILORIN; Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State chapter, Mr. Abiodun Abdulkareem; Campus Page Editor of The Guardian newspaper, Tope Templer Olaiya; and editor of CAMPUSLIFE, The Nation newspaper, Wale Ajetunmobi.

Thomas provoked the thoughts of participants on the role of the pen in creating a prosperous future. "As journalists, you should be an advocate of fairness, justice, integrity and industry, which are the tenets that hold the fabric of the profession," he said.

In his presentation on The Ideal Leader: His lifestyle and Traits, Oyinloye explained that journalists are the only few privileged persons with the ability to break away from the cycle of ignorance into truth.

Lecturing on Positioning Campus Journalism for Change, Adedimeji, quoted late Pini Jason, a former columnist with The Vanguard newspaper: "Our society has lost its manners and now it is about to lose its mind. Your responsibility as a fine writer is to help this society retrieve those values that made us great in the past, which this generation does not care about anymore! If you must be part of that recovery, then, you must not lose your head."

Mahfouz explained that journalism thrives on words, which are the building blocks of language. "A journalist, either campus-based or society-based, deals with words and makes words work. We are living in a world of words. Everywhere you go, words keep on dazzling your eyes on the pages of newspapers, magazines, books and the computer.

"Words keep on blasting your eardrums from speakers, radio and television sets. On many occasions, what we read, what we hear, what we watch, determine to a large extent who we are. Words are powerful. Words are wonderful. Words are awesome. Words are breathtaking, as confirmed in the Holy books that 'In the beginning was the word; and the word was with God; and the word was God.'"

He, therefore, urged the budding writers to wake up to their civic responsibilities, which is built on truth, objectivity, balance and fairness; which are ingredients that can change any society for the better.

Delegates at the conference included campus journalists from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU); Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo; University of Ibadan (UI); Ibrahim Babangida University (IBB), Lapai; Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED); University of Calabar (UNICAL); Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH); Delta State University (DELSU); Federal School of Statistics (FSS), Oyo; among others.

During the interactive session, it was time to engage the editors of notable newspapers and magazines how campus journalists can report for media houses. Templer Olaiya from The Guardian encouraged delegates to strive to be abreast of issues surround them and endeavour to verify all stories from credible sources before sending reports to the mainstream media.

President of the UCJ, UNILORIN, Wale Bakare, thanked the participants for being part of the move to channel a new course in campus journalism.

Ogunjobi is a 400-Level student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.