Reporting Child Abuse BY Nigeria Press.

The Nigerian media through the consistent reports of news and analysis on the impact of child abuse have helped in reinforcing the war against child abuse. The Media has constituted itself to a positive force which etched child abuse crusade in the consciousness of the people.

It is believed that, the effort of the press in reporting Impact of child abuse in Oshodi have drastically reduced the scrooge and issue relating to child abuse and brought it to the front burner of the National discuss.

The  consistent exposure of Child abuse cases by the Nigerian Media has emboldened increase number of Civil Society group in the country to join and identify with the anti child abuse war.

Reports in the Media about child abuse have provided these groups with the needed tools to demand the prosecution of perpetrators of child abuse crime in the country.

The media in recent years have also been proactive in identifying questionable and unexplained movement of group of children ostensibly for child abuse, thereby arousing public interest and concern.

Some of child abuse cases may not be under investigation, but it is a veritable reference material for future investigation, into similar cases.

Again the fact that people are conscious that their exist a vibrant media and that you are being watched in the areas OF INFRINGING ON THE CHILD RIGHT LAW, could be a deterrent for people inclined to indulge in child abuse .

The media has performed creditable well in Nigeria under harsh and difficult condition imposed by the system in operation in the country. Within operational constrain, Nigeria media has discharged its duties above expectation in their fight against the incidence of child abuse through their reportage of cases involving both the high and low in the society.

 To be continued.

Citizen & Professional Jonalist.

WHO IS A JOURNALIST AND A CITIZEN JOURNALIST?

 

      

                                A Professional Journalist in action.

WHO IS A JOURNALIST? A journalist collects and disseminates information about current events, people, trends, and issues.  His or her work is acknowledged as journalism. Reporters are one type of journalist. They create reports as a profession for broadcast or publication in mass media such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, documentary film, and the internet. Reporters find sources for their work, their reports can be either spoken or written, and they are often expected to report in the most objective and unbiased way to serve the public good. A columnist is a journalist who writes pieces that appear regularly in newspapers on magazines.

Depending on the context, the term journalist also includes various types of editors and visual journalists, such as photographers, graphic artists, and page designers.

Foremost in the minds of most practicing journalist’s is the issue of maintaining credibility. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility

CITIZEN JOURNALIST:

A citizen Journalist in action.

This is a person who practices journalism without training in the profession. They practice citizen journalism. Citizen journalism is also known as public participatory, democratic or street journalism. It is the concept of which members of the public playing active role in the process of collecting, reporting and disseminating news/ information. The intent of this information is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide range of relevant information which a democracy required.

Citizen journalism shouldn’t be confused with community journalism or civic journalism which is practiced by professional journalist. It is a specific form of citizen media as well as user – generated content. The idea behind citizen journalism is that people won’t go through journalism training but can use the tool of modern technology from the internet to create augment or fact - check media on their own. E.g. you might write about a city council meeting on your blog or in your on – line forum. You can snap a digital photo of a newsworthy event happening in your town and post it on your sight as U – tube. According to John Rosen, Citizen Journalist, the people formerly known audience who were on the receiving end of media system which ran one way, whit high entry fees and a few firm competing to speak is looking while the rest of the population listen in isolation whit one another and who today are in a situation like that at all.

According to Mark Glaser many eye witnesses account of the terrorist attack on the world trade center come from citizen journalist. Images and stories from citizen journalist close to the World Trade Center offered correct information and played a major role in the story.

CRITICISM: Citizen Journalist may be an activist within a community they write about. This has drawn some criticism form the traditional media institution. Many traditional journalist view citizen journalist with some scaptism. They believe only trained journalist can understand the ethics in reporting news.

.References:http//Wikipedia.org/wiki/journalist

.http//Wikipedia.org/wiki citizen _journalism

‘REPENT OR PERISH’, Evanglist Tells Ikeja Residents.

‘REPENT OR PERISH’, Evanglist Tells Ikeja Residents.

Photo by Ugochukwu Eluwah

This was the message of the mobile preacher who just stopped under the Ikeja flyover beaming his sermon to ever ready ‘inquisitive’ Lagosians. He is of the opinion that our men of God have failed God in their duty. They have left the things of God and are now in pursuit of fame and finance.

The consequence is that God has stopped speaking to them and is now raising preachers like him to take the gospel to the masses and have them saved. He said that God is not a respecter of persons, but in every city those obey and serve Him in truth and righteousness He works with.

Why does the devil always go after anointed men that were genuinely chosen by God to disgrace them and make the word of God of no effect?

How does the devil convince them to close their heart and mind against God and do those things they once preached against?

In the bible you made Moses a man that has the single honor to speak with God face to face not to enter the Promised Land due to anger.

You pushed King David a man after God’s heart to deliberately commit adultery and in a bid to cover it up committed murder.

You caused the wisest man on earth King Solomon, the son of King David to turn his heart against God, later when he came back to his senses, he lamented, “vanity upon vanity, all is vanity” The list is inexhaustible, time and space will not permit me to go on and on.

Now, how does this concern the men of God in Nigeria? I believe these men of God have read the Bible’s account of the rise and fall of their counterparts in the Holy Book, they read of the rise and fall of churches, they have also read books written by other men of God, they have themselves written and preached about the same issue, how come that they do not want to hid to wise council and retrace their steps and go back to their original calling which I know is to win souls for Christ. I read a book titled God’s General by Robert Liardon and I am sure that almost all the General Overseers/Superintendents in this country must have read the book. Here is extracts from the book about John Alexander Dowie – “The Healing Apostle” “Dowie’s leadership was gaining a strong National influence. Seeing his Potential and knowing his stand, the Temperance Society (His Church) members asked him to run for parliament. At first he opposed the idea. But he LATER changed his mind, thinking he could possible influence more in the political arena and decided to enter the race.  Dowie suffered a SOUND DEFEAT in the election. The local newspapers that have been so damaged by his ministry waged an all-out attack against him. The (old) politicians and alcoholic beverage industries paid untold amounts to money to see him slandered and defeated. After the election, Alexander Dowie had wounded his CHURCH and disgraced his ministry.  (He knows or decided not to know) The apostolic and Political don’t mix. Dowie with his calling should never have resorted to political life style. If it did not work in Chicago it definitely will not work in Nigeria. Politics in Nigeria is a dirty game; you don’t play it with ‘white shirt’. Our men of God should have been at the background bombarding heaven with prayers.

Robert Liardon also went further to say of Dowie regarding ZION city which He built and gave out for people on lease.  “Dowie unveiled the architectural plans for ZION (city) at the new year’s Eve watch night service on January 1, 1900. His business ability was praised by his people and the SECULAR world for starting the ZION LAND INVESTMENT ASSOCIATION. Although Liardon did not state this, I believe that had Zion city been in Nigeria General overseers would have made provision for a shopping mall and a first class university. It will also have a magnificent ‘DELIVERANCE CATHEDRAL’ which will cost #35 Billion (thirty – five billion naira only) that is when valued in Nigerian currency. A part of Zion city will house a television Station to be used to “reach” the perishing world. Zion city must have a micro Finance Bank to make sure the ministry’s money does not go to unbeliever’s hand. Then a private jet will be acquired to help our ministry travel across the globe for evangelism, since it’s cheaper. ‘ Haba’, are we still going to heaven? Are we still strangers and pilgrims on earth? Are this world and its content still reserved for fire at the end of time? Devil, you are a liar; The Almighty God will deliver us from your grip.

Could it be that God has stopped talking to pastors inside the churches in Nigeria, and is now talking to a new generation of preachers, from the grass root, some of who uses mobile church as was seen recently at Ikeja round about. The mobile church has all it takes to be a church. There is offering box, prayer request box, and time for counseling. There is GSM number for you to send distress call in case of emergency. God can use any body. He stopped talking to Prophet Eli, and shifted to little Samuel the servant without his knowing about it. (I Samuel 3:9) I have a feeling that these ministers of God now know that God has stopped talking to them, that is why they are using human knowledge, and the gift of God still in them since God’s gift is of no repentance to still keep their congregation. To secure their feature and their family in case the church fails, they now go into business venture, trying to outdo the business men. Some of them might be wondering why FORBES have not enlisted them as African richest men. One of them recently said on tape “my prayer request is that God will give me a PRIVATE JET to enable me spread the gospel  as other ministers of God in Nigeria and abroad”.

Finally, I want to appeal to our ministers of God to do a stock taking of their activities and life style and make amend; God is ever willing to forgive and pardon.  His mercy endured for ever, but He is also a consuming fire!

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