ALIYU LAWAL
Niger State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has expressed concern over the increasing rate of impersonation by content creators posing as Professional Journalists, describing the trend as damaging to the image of the journalism profession.
The State Chairman of NUJ, Dr Abu Nmodu, raised the concern in an interview with reporters in Minna, noting that the situation was becoming worrisome and required urgent attention.
Dr. Nmodu explained that the union would soon embark on a special training programme for Journalists on digital media usage in Minna to strengthen professional capacity and ensure that practitioners remain relevant in the evolving media landscape.
He owever warned that individuals impersonating as Journalists would be identified and handed over to security agencies for appropriate action, while stressing that growing influence of technology in the media space has made it necessary for journalists to adapt to modern trends and enhance their digital skills.
The NUJ chairman said the training would equip journalists with updated digital and media knowledge, enabling them to clearly distinguish themselves from untrained content creators and maintain professional standards, and reaffirmed his readiness to tackle the challenge of impersonation not only in Niger State but also across Nigeria and Africa.
Dr Abu Nmodu who expressed satisfaction that trained journalists in the state are already operating in the online media space, contributing professionally to digital journalism, however lamented over the presence of many online media practitioners who have not undergone formal journalism training.
END Aliyu Lawal.
