The Association of Campus Journalists, Obafemi Awolowo University hosted the 2024 International Campus Journalism Conference on 4th of May at the Ajose Lecture Theatre in the University. The conference which has always been an eye-opener and transformative one and this year’s edition was also one that gives such insight as it provides a platform to guide potential journalists through the challenges of technology and innovations.
The conference brought together a diverse group of journalists, media professionals, and speakers to discuss the changing landscape of journalism in the digital age, and to provide aspiring journalists with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in an increasingly interconnected and digital world.
The year’s conference brought esteemed speakers and panelists, Oluseun Onigbinde, Global Director of BudgIT, who gave the keynote address, and several others including Titilope Fadare, Asst. Podcast Editor, SciDev.Net; Blessing Oladunjoye, Publisher at BONews; David Afolayan, Co-founder of Technext; Ganiu Oloruntade, Reporter at TechCabal; and Bolu Abiodun, Senior Reporter at Techpoint Africa who served as the panelist.
Other dignitaries present were the Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Prince Akinyode Oyewusi, the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng, Mr Rahaman, Dataphyte Academy team led by Mr. Bifola Raji, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simeon Bamire was ably represented by the Dean, Division of Student Affairs, Professor John Odedire.
Also, students from University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, University of Lagos, Osun State University, Adekunle Ajasin University, and Usmanu Danfodiyo University were present at the conference
During his welcome address, Gbolahan Latinwo, the President of the association, highlighted the crucial role that campus journalists play as protectors of truth. He stressed the importance of this conference in equipping participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the digital landscape effectively. He also encouraged everyone to network, engage with one another, and be open to sharing their experiences.
In his Keynote address, Mr Oluseun Onigbinde emphasized the importance of media innovation and the need for technological adaptation in the ever-evolving digital landscape. He also stressed that connecting with audiences is crucial, but not at the cost of sacrificing journalistic standards.
The Deputy Speaker of the Osun State of House of Assembly spoke on the importance of media in politics and how it holds government leaders accountable to the people. He further commended the association for organizing the conference and redirecting the focus of journalists to the well-being of society through technological advancement.
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The conference had two-panel sessions. The first session was moderated by the newly inaugurated President of The Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan, Tosanwunmi Elizabeth Tarre, and featured two panelists; Miss Titilope Fadare, the Assistant Podcast Editor for SciDev and Miss Blessing Oladunjoye, the Publisher for BO News with the theme ‘Building an innovative newsroom: strategies and best practices for encouraging and implementing new ideas’, The panelists spoke on the strategies and best practices necessary for implementing new ideas. Titilope Fadare emphasized collaboration between newsrooms and tech companies to develop AI tools that benefit the public. Blessing Oladunjoye, also echoes similar sentiments, underscoring how innovation has streamlined the news generation and dissemination process. She emphasizes the necessity for journalists to undergo training in innovation to effectively leverage new tools and technologies. Mobile journalism is compared to TikTok with facts by Blessing Oladunjoye, who emphasizes its role in delivering breaking news, combating the spread of fake news, and enabling journalists to establish themselves as individual brands.
Rahaman Abiola, the Editor-in-Chief of Legit, delivered a speech on the topic of ‘Media Innovation and Technology: Role of Social Media in Newsroom.’ He talked about the significant shift in mindset from being in denial about digital media to adopting a digital-first approach, which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained how Legit.ng has successfully built a strong audience base by shaping narratives on social media platforms, especially Facebook. He offered several tips on how to achieve this, including optimizing pages to be compatible with social media and using features like reels, infographics and social storytelling. He emphasized the importance of creating effective picture posts by including elements such as social leads, compelling visuals, and clear calls to action to drive engagement.
The second panel session moderated by esOlatunji Uthman, featured Mr David Afolayan, the Co-Founder of Technext, Mr Ganiu Oloruntade, a Reporter at TechCabal, and Mr Bolu Abiodun, a Senior Reporter at Techpoint. They introduced new ways in which Sustainable Revenue can be generated in a Competitive Online Environment and highlighted the importance of technology in mainstream journalism.
In an interview session with Mr. Ganiu Oloruntade after the conference, he commended the organizers of the ICJC and highlighted the importance of such conferences in this age. In his words, “Conferences like ICJC are important to the ecosystem because of the opportunity to hold important conversations around the media industry and it also provides the opportunity for more experienced hands in the media business in journalism as a field to share their thoughts and to inspire the next generation of journalists’’.
The conference was concluded with the presentation of awards to the guests and the capturing of different moments that took place.
