Encomium as AFYMP organizes training for young media professionals

By Mukhtar Ajelogbon, Osogbo

_…As Toun, Olaito, Ladeinde, Otufodunrin, Olapoju, Fagbule, Adebanjo Share Knowledge, Experience_

Beneficiaries could not hide their joy after they were exposed to various ways to expound their media business and how to attract funders through original, credible and accurate contents in media business by Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals (AFYMP).

OsunReporters News gathered that the two-day Media Workshop held in Lagos which was organized to train 25 young media entrepreneurs who are ready to make a mark in the media Industry, focused on business of communication, importance of collaboration while upholding the ethics of journalism.

The African Foundation for Young Media Professionals, who selected the participants from various parts of the country, invited experienced journalists and media experts in broadcast, print and digital media as resource persons.

While speaking to newsmen at the programme, Mr Yinka Olaito, one of the organizers, explained the need to expose young media professionals to business sustainability and partnership.

According to him, “Selecting people who had been in the media business for 3 to 4 years with the level of professionalism in them, so the only thing that is missing is the aspect of business sustainability because most of the time it revolves around one man but you need to have a strategy.

“If you are going to have a business, you are going to know how to organize people, you are going to have the skills in administration, you’re going to know how to build your funnel of income.”

Resource Persons

In there separate comments, some of the facilitators, Mr Yinka Olaito, One of the facilitators, CEO of Women Radio 91.7 FM, Mrs Toun Okewale -Sonaiya and Executive Editor of TVC News, Mr Kayode Ladeinde, said it is rewarding to see young media professionals who are hungry to be good in the business of the media as participants, adding that the workshop covered a range of topics from media entrepreneurship, leadership and business sustainability.

“While you are setting up your business, you also need to look at the business side, it has to be sustainable, you have to make sure that it is profitable without deviating from the ethics of your job,” Toun said.

According to Ladeinde, “We’ve been able to establish that you need that followership and you don’t get that followership if you don’t have credibility, accuracy and if you don’t practice professionalism in terms of your content. So before you talk of paying consumers who will be advertising, who will be touching the clicks and you get money from these platforms, you need to first have a niche for yourself.”

While acknowledging the impact of the workshop, some beneficiaries expressed their satisfaction and promised to include the ideas gained at the workshop in their media business journey.

A participant from Osun State, Mukhtar Ajelogbon publisher of the OsunReporters News affirmed that knowledge of how to manage both the paying and non-paying consumers to the advantage of a content provider should be a priority in the media business.

He further noted that the need for teamwork and collaboration with other professionals to achieve success is highly needed.

In his words, “While thanking the organizers of this media training, I see the need to partner with like minds, people who share similar goals to reach a certain goal in the media business. I also see more reasons to manage both the paying and non-paying consumers to the advantage of a content provider.”

Another participant, from Lagos, Olamide Tejuosho also speaks; “Journalism is big and you have to know how to play your own games, so that you can keep being in the business, so that in the next few months people can know you for what you’re doing not just in Nigeria even globally.”

Another Lagos based young media professional, Chioma Obikagwam also said: “My take home is ‘partnership’, I can’t do it alone, I need to partner with like minds people with similar goals and the likes. As the media landscape continues to evolve, the goal of this training is to equip Young Media Professionals with the skills, confidence and network to produce credible news content that makes an impact.”

Other participants, such as Adesoji Omosebi, publisher of SOJ Worldwide News, Sanusi Olusola Bodunde of Ligit News, Funke Olutunmibi of News Indicator, Afolabi Jamiu of News Kingdom, Olusegun of Exponent News, Modupe of Insight Media, Bright Gbotemi of Voice Air Media, Tomi Lala of Sahel Standard, Idowu Yusuf of IdealPlusGist, salahudeen Abdullah of Correct News among others acknowledged the impact of the eye-opening training to opportunities in the media business.

However, the 25 participants of the two-day Media Workshop organized by the African Foundation for Young Media Professionals held on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th June, 2024 in Lagos have become Media Entrepreneurship, Business Sustainability Fellows of AFYMP, the training was supported by Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and the MacArthur Foundation.

Seeore photos below

Source: OsunReporters News