The Member, representing Africa on the World Journalism Education Council and Chair / Past Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos , Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, has called on President Bola Tinubu to give palliatives to journalists and rescue the media industry from a total collapse.
He said the media industry has been experiencing a hemorrhaging situation.
Speaking in Ibadan, the media avatar said Tinubu must urgently take the critical step, because of the pivotal role the media plays in a democracy.
The professor said: “The president is a media owner. He belongs to the league of media owners. Palliatives are being given. He should also remember the media industry. The media remains trustees of public trust.  There is an urgent need for palliatives and waivers for the sector to remain afloat’’.
The university don also decried activities of some unprofessional elements in the media industry, saying they are the Fourth Estate of the Wreck.
He said: ‘’Citizen journalists are not journalists. Many of them did not attend journalism school. They practice journalese.  They are information traffickers. Many times they traffic falsehood. Those who breach professional ethics belong to the Fourth Estate of the Wreck.
‘’They don’t just wreck the platform but society, professional bodies they belong to such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),  and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE)’’.