Media leaders and stakeholders have called on tertiary institutions offering journalism and mass communication courses to review their curriculum to meet the demands of the digital era.

This was part of the communique issued at the Ist Media Leaders’ Summit convened by The Journalism Clinic, in Ogun State recently.

The Guest Speaker at the two-day event was Mr Juan Senor, President, Innovation Media Consulting Group based in London.  Other resource persons included the Founder/Director of The Journalism Clinic, Mr Taiwo Obe; Tara Agbakoba, legal consultant, PwC and Oba Ayodele Kupoluyi, an ex-officio member of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN).

Below are key points of action and consensus reached at the summit:

1.Although digital technology has disrupted the news media business, the principles and purpose of journalism remain largely the same.

2.Good journalism is the surest path to sustainable business survival and profitability. Therefore, news media operations must strive to produce and deliver content that their audiences and consumers must be willing to pay for.

3.Advertising must not remain the sole source of revenue for the media. Media houses must build their brands such that they can leverage them to generate revenue from sources such as events, festivals, book publishing, merchandising, licensing, affiliate marketing and club membership.

4.There cannot be digital journalism without the reconfiguration of newsrooms to enhance workflow.

5.News operations’ websites – and not third-party platforms – must be the primary destinations for their audiences and communities because the money is where the article is viewed, watched and touched. Platforms must not be allowed to make money off the operators’ talents and initiatives.

6.After the news breaks, the media must continue to develop the story through various techniques made possible by the internet and digital technology to provide answers to questions the consumers want answers to, such as the why, the how and what next.

7.The old ways of buying media space have changed as media buyers now deploy data and scientific methods to decide where to place their clients’ ads. Therefore, media owners must collectively work towards providing sales and marketing information which are measurable and verifiable.

8.There’s a need for tertiary institutions offering journalism and mass communication courses to review their curriculum to meet the demands of the digital era.

9.Media organisations must imbibe sound Corporate Governance principles and ensure that their staff are promptly and adequately remunerated.

10.Journalism must not only be a mirror but also a healer of the society. Media organisations must therefore regularly drive issues of public concern and significant social impact through campaigns or crusade. Examples of the issues worth crusades are:

         How the media should aid credible elections

         What can be done to reduce infant mortality

         How to save indigenous languages from extinction

         How Nigerian oceans can be made safe

         How to make Nigerian security agencies work for, and not against Nigerians.