Media practitioners have been urged to uphold professionalism, embrace collaboration, and maintain ethical standards in the face of the growing digital transformation of journalism.
This call was made during the official launch of Daily Open News, a new online media platform, held on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Ibadan.
The event, which featured a keynote presentation by Pastor Bisi Oladele, Publisher of Newspeak Magazine and former South West Bureau Chief of The Nation Newspapers, who spoke on the theme “Online News Publishing and National Development.”
In his address, Pastor Oladele highlighted the ongoing shift from traditional to digital practices across all sectors, noting that journalism must adapt or risk being left behind.
“The world has shifted from physical to digital. Whoever doesn’t shift will be overtaken. Education, science, entertainment, and finance have all gone digital, and now news publishing has joined the evolution,” he stated.
He described the digital revolution as both a success and a challenge for the media, explaining that while it has simplified news production and distribution, it has also blurred the boundaries between journalism and content creation.
“There is now a thin line between online news publishing and content creation. Content creators are fast shaping public opinion.”
According to him, the advantages of online publishing include ease of content production, wide reach, and the promotion of entrepreneurship among journalists who can now operate independently with smartphones and laptops.
“Journalists are moving from being salary earners to becoming employers of labour,” he said.
“Online media has also encouraged plurality of opinions and perspectives.”
However, Oladele warned that the core of professionalism in journalism is at risk.
“The gatekeeping role of journalism has been weakened. Many Nigerians no longer trust what they read online because access to data has made publishing too easy. Quacks are now employed to produce AI-generated stories, and we are living in an era dominated by clickbait headlines,” he lamented.
He further observed that while there has been a multiplication of online voices, there is little depth or impact in most digital news content.
“There’s no investigative journalism, no depth of content, and a lack of regulation. This makes it a difficult terrain for professionals, no nation can thrive without a strong and responsible media. “Our society cannot develop beyond the level of its media,” he stressed.
Oladele therefore called for the establishment of a strong regulatory body for online news publishing similar to the Nigerian Press Council or National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) but initiated by practitioners themselves. He also advocated for self-regulation, partnerships, and collaborations among online news publishers.
“No matter how good you are, news publishing is not a one-man business. The era of collaboration is here, and online media should work together to make greater impact,” he advised.
“Let more professionals come into online news publishing. If we don’t do it, others will and eventually, they will be the ones hiring us.”
