Debo Akinbami, an erstwhile aide of late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has decried the spiraling rise of charlatans posing as Journalists, describing them as untrained and unqualified.
Debo who doubles as a Mass Communication Lecturer at the State-owned Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba (AAUA), stated this in an exclusive interview with Starnews NG on Sunday.
He also described the quacks who he said, had crashed into the profession, as Data-rich and posing as citizen journalists.
He said, “the reasons are evident and their implications are far-reaching.
“A preponderance of characters who wear the tag of journalism are charlatans who only gatecrashed into the trade under the guise of being citizen journalists, for want of a more serious and sustainable engagements.
“Many a ‘so-called’ journalist are untrained, unqualified, unskilled and uninitiated; lacking in requisite expertise, ethical finesse and sound news judgements.
“The consequences of the trade-theft and invasion by quacks are obvious in the quality of news and temperament of reportage that has significantly dimished.
“It is true that much is being misunderstood about communication practice; whereas, the misconceptions and misapplications leave the public with damaging effects.
“It’s worse off within the political space where, for reasons of sweeping ignorance, any person who is data-rich with a smart phone and can pull a social media stunt is considered a journalist and engaged therefore.
“The regulating institutions are doing their bits in cleansing the space, but more radical interventions may be required for tangible result as the rate of degeneration has soared.
“Worse still, most employers in public administration do not even know the appropriate skill set to demand for when engaging a communication practitioner; some either underestimate the roles or take them for granted; thankfully with sour consequences”, he added.
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