By Wuraola Oyedokun
The Chief Executive Officer, Women Radio 91.7 FM, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, has urged journalists, especially media entrepreneurs to turn their passion for the craft into profit, warning that poverty is expensive.
Okewale-Sonaiya also urged young media entrepreneurs to be creative, business-oriented and credible in order to stand out in the marketplace.
The veteran broadcaster made the call during the two-day Media Entrepreneurship, Thought leadership and Business Sustainability Fellowship 2024 organised by Africa Foundation for Young Media Professionals[AFYMP].
The training, aimed at building the capacity of some selected online media entrepreneurs, took place at the Centre for Management Development, Magodo, Lagos.
The project was supported by MacArthur Foundation and Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
With the #AFYMPFundedMediaProject 2024#, Optimal Times News is one of the media platforms selected for the fellowship.
Speaking on the theme: ‘’Media Business and Technology, Implications for Entrepreneurs’’, Okewale-Sonaiya said media business couldbly if done creatively, consistently and credibly.
She urged the young media professional to distinguish themselves through their value proposition, offerings and distinctiveness.
Okewale-Sonaiya said: ”Poverty is expensive and the media can be profitable. We have to make money on our own. There is always an opportunity to rebrand. For us to make impacts, we have to be punctual. We need to innovate and do what will stand you out. You need to distinguish yourself in anything you do. You need to make your media sustainable. Be consistent and credible. Consider partnership. There is success in partnership and networking”.
The Executive Director of AFYMPF , Mr. Yinka Olaito, who spoke on the theme: ‘’Media Viability : The Business of News and Product Thinking ‘’, harped on a sustainable model, saying without the business model, media entrepreneurs would lose in the business of news.
‘’You cannot do media business for passion alone. If you don’t have an audience, you are not doing the right thing’’, the Executive Director added.
The Executive Director , Media Career Development Network, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, who spoke on ‘’ Media and technology’’, charged the media owners to provide new perspectives and turn old stories to new ones and be ethical in their reportage.
A broadcast journalist, Omobola Adebanjo, who spoke on the topic: ‘’Multimedia Production Dynamics and Audience Engagement’’, emphasised that the 21st century media must be creative and engaging with the audience without embellishment.
While speaking on the theme: ‘’Media Products and Consumer Engagement: Succeeding in a Competitive Market’, the Executive Editor of Television Continental [TVC], Mr. Ladeinde Kayode, urged the journalists to strike a balance between paying and non-paying news consumers.
Ladeinde said: ‘’Everything has gone digital. There are paying and non-paying consumers. The content must be sensitive to paying and non-paying consumers in order to sustain the business. Let’s network’’.
The Editor, The Cable, Mr. Kolapo Olapoju said it was expedient for media entrepreneurs to monetise their knowledge by creating content that resonates with the audience. Olapoju urged them to forge relationships with NGOs, CSOs and be more visible.
Steven Ikechukwu,an Assistant Editor, BusinessDay, who spoke on ‘’Media Landscape -Thriving in a Changing World’’, harped on the need to build brands and partnerships.