Stop patronizing blackmailers parading themselves as journalists, online publishers advise Nigerians, other news audience
The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) have cautioned and advised Nigerians and other news readers to stop patronizing blackmailers who parades themselves as journalists, to avoid running them into regret and loss
Penpushing reports that, President of the Guild, Maureen Chigbo gave this advice and caution note in her welcome address at the 6th Annual Conference of the body, held on Thursday in Lagos, stressing that, doing so will save the society the havoc of quacks.
The President disclosed that, the guild comprising seasoned and experienced media practitioners was established to address the menace of fake news, their sponsors and blackmailers who turned themselves to journalists overnight
Penpushing further reports that, she explained that, ironically the members of Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) who do clean journalism do not get patronised and are often ignored until there is a crisis.
The publishers emphasized that advertisers and organisations who require publicity should budget adequately and do appropriate pricing service of the guild services, explaining that, they (online publishers) are mediapreneurs and employers of labour too, adding that she emphasized that so that all partners will appreciate the fact that members run costs on a monthly basis to sustain various businesses.
Penpushing also reports that, Chigbo disclosed that the body has inbuilt mechanism for resolving disputes, having set up disciplinary committee which can be approached by any aggrieved members of the public, who feel that their rights have been infringed on by any of members, among other things.
‘Cognisant of this fact will then assist the advertisers and organisations, who require publicity to please budget adequately and do appropriate pricing of our services. Doing so will help us to generate revenue to sustain our business and save society the havoc of quacks that they often patronise with regrets because they are being blackmailed’.
‘The irony is that GOCOP members who do clean journalism do not get patronised and are often ignored until there is a crisis. My advice to advertisers is don’t wait until there is a crisis. Learn to make hay while the sun shines’, she stated.
‘GOCOP has an inbuilt mechanism for resolving disputes, an OMBUDSMAN domiciled under its Disciplinary Committee, which can be approached by any aggrieved members of the public, who feel that their rights have been infringed on by any of our members, among other things’, Chigbo added.
‘Having said this, let me tell you a bit about the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) which started eight years ago when it was registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission. GOCOP is a peer review body of publishers who have practiced professional journalism for at least 10 years. Most of us have held top-level positions in the print and broadcast industry as title Editors, and Managing Directors of the traditional or the legacy media’.
‘They are well-horned in the tenets of the profession and believe in investigative journalism. Some are members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. But the most important thing which I want this gathering to take note of is that members of the Guild are mediapreneurs and employers of labour too’, Chigbo emphasised
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