Mr. Isaac Yalah, Director of Finance & Personnel Management at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has encouraged practicing journalists to remain steadfast and dedicated to their duties, emphasizing the importance of speaking truth to power.
Speaking in Yenagoa during an event where senior media practitioners were rewarded for exemplary work, Mr. Yalah reiterated that journalists should strive not to compromise facts, adding that professional journalism will continue to remain relevant.
Yalah, who was formerly Manager of Finance and Administration at NCDMB, said that irrespective of the rise of social media, professional journalism has come to stay.
He advised upcoming journalists to stay focused and practice the profession with decorum.
He said: “Journalism to me is very important and will continue to remain relevant because journalism has professionalism. It has courage, and you speak truth. It has dedication.
“My word of encouragement to journalists is: let’s remain dedicated. Let’s remain professional. Let’s continue to speak truth to reality. Let’s face the facts. Let’s not compromise.”
Praising the senior media practitioners who have retired, he said: “These persons honoured have done the same thing. That’s why they have been honoured. If they had not stood firm to support the practice of journalism, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Advising those still practicing and those who will enter the profession in the future, he added: “Those who are practicing and those who in the future intend to be in journalism should also understand that they can be celebrated like this.
“But the most important thing is how professionally and dedicatedly you speak truth to power in this sphere of democracy and governance.
“I think it’s very important that we carry that message from one generation to another, which is critical.
“So journalism, whether we like it or not, whether you call it print, virtual, or whatever, still remains very relevant because it is the point of contact for us to get the information we desire.
“Whether we are using social media today or print, I still read newspapers. Even if I don’t see them physically, I go online to the website of the media house to read the news of the day. Journalism has come to stay,” he narrated.
