The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration at the University of Ibadan, Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba, FNPA, has charged members of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) to provide vibrant and balanced journalism for the university community and beyond.
Professor Olapegba gave the charge when he received the UCJ team on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale mni, FAS, during a courtesy visit.
He thanked the UCJ for practising responsible journalism and expressed the hope that it shall be sustained.
The DVC Administration recalled with nostalgia his experiences in the Kuti Hall Press Club during his undergraduate days in UI.
He attested to the vibrancy of the Press then and recalled that there were press boards all over the campus filled with incisive articles and write-ups on various national and other issues.
“When you entered the Students Union Building (SUB) in those days, you could stand by the press board for almost an hour reading various articles and write-ups that will make you wonder if they were written by students. This is the kind of vibrancy that the University is yearning for amongst the student body,” he said.
Granted that press boards may be outdated, Professor Olapegba charged the UCJ to contribute more to developing an informed community by providing objective and balanced reportage on- line as well as fact-checking properly.
He noted that the Press is expected to be the watchdog of the society as well as a medium of information dissemination.
Prof Olapegba commended members of the union for channelling their energy positively through journalism.
He charged them to see it as a veritable platform to develop their talents and carve a niche for themselves in journalism, saying that they could build a career in journalism right from the campus.
Professor Olapegba, however, charged them to remain focused on their primary objective of coming to the University of Ibadan – to achieve academic excellence.
The President of the UCJ, Miss Tarre Elizabeth Tosanwunmi expressed the appreciation of the union to the University management for ensuring press freedom on campus.
She explained that their visit was to introduce the executive members of the UCJ as well as to thank the management for support at various levels and for creating a safe space to practice responsible journalism.
Miss Tarre informed the VC that the UCJ would be celebrating 37 years of existence this year and that the union prides itself on the great alumni that it had produced over the years.
She said that the Union of Campus Journalists is one of the respected organisations on campus because of its positive contributions through the writing of impactful stories that brought about positive changes.
Miss Tarre said that the UCJ criticised misbehaviour and actions that could cause disruptions and had given other interventions through the provision of training to interested students willing to develop skills in journalism.
