Toun Okewale Sonaiya has stated that news organisations are at a critical point where they must balance journalistic principles with revenue generation. Speaking at the AllAfrica Media Leaders’ Summit in Kenya, she urged journalists, editors and broadcasters to use their platforms to showcase positive stories and narratives about Africa, educate about the continent’s numerous achievements, and entertain about its rich culture and traditions, without compromising the ethics of journalism.
“A lot of media businesses are struggling to balance truthful, impartial journalism with sustainability, especially with the rise of digital media and shrinking advertising. News organisations must uphold the ethics of journalism and salvage our respectable profession by going back to its primary role of information, education, and entertainment”, she emphasised, adding that the public must trust and believe more in journalists than politicians.
Okewale Sonaiya, who spoke on the theme, “Making Truth Profitable: Increasing the appeal and engagement power of news to capture and retain larger audiences”, commended the Nigerian media that give credible, fair, and balanced news despite the global economic downturn and appealed to media owners to show respect and dignity to the profession by paying the salaries of its workers regularly and on time to prevent journalists from compromising editorial independence and integrity. She added that only when media owners pay salaries on time and regularly, can journalists perform their primary duties.
“Truth is profitable when you consistently report from all angles, giving balanced, factual, accurate, truthful and impartial news backed up with data above money. When you proffer solutions and empower citizens to make informed decisions from your analysis, you build trust and credibility, your audience becomes loyal, you grow and money will follow you”, she concluded.