Canada-based journalist and publisher of Starnews NG Online Newspaper, Pastor Olumide Akinrinlola, has called for a total overhaul of the staff of Arise Television, insisting that only qualified journalists should be allowed to handle its presentation programmes to restore professionalism to the station.
Akinrinlola, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed disappointment over what he described as “unprofessional practices” being displayed by some presenters on the television station, which, according to him, have become “embarrassingly annoying.”
He urged the management of Arise TV to stop engaging presenters who do not possess a minimum qualification in journalism, noting that such practice undermines the ethics of the profession.
“It’s not journalism when presenters of TV shows are rude, arrogant, confrontational, mannerless, disrespectful, saucy, and judgmental,” he said.
He condemned the attitude of some of the station’s presenters, accusing them of turning their programmes into “a courtroom where presenters assume the position of a judge, overruling the opinions of their guests and silencing them from expressing contrary views.”
Describing the trend as “madness that must stop,” Akinrinlola said such conduct is capable of tarnishing Nigeria’s image in the international broadcast community.
The media expert emphasised the need for Arise TV to uphold the standards of journalism by promoting decency, objectivity and balance in its programmes, warning that continued unprofessional conduct could erode public trust in the media.
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