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| Ms Ogunseye |
Sometime in the month of May this year, journalists gathered
to celebrate with ace journalist Lekan Otufodunrin, Managing Editor Online, The
Nation Newspaper and founder Journalists For Christ (JFC) who clocked 50.
At the event, media practitioners agreed to fashion out a
way forward for a profession that is as old as man himself. While delivering
lecture on “Reinventing Journalism in
Nigeria: The Need for conscious media career development in Nigeria” the
celebrant Lekan Otufodunrin posited that if journalism must re-invest there is
a need for media career development.
On his part, President Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Femi
Adesina supported Otufodunrin assertion that re-inventing journalism there
should be a well-defined working relationship between media training
institutions and media organizations. If the graduates are being produced to
work in media organisations, the training institutions should work with the
employers to produce the right quality of graduates.
While speaking on salient points that must be taking into
cognizance in lifting and promoting the image of journalism in Nigeria
multi-award journalist, Misss Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye said one of the antidotes of
proficiency is moving with best in the industry. “Who are your friends? The best journalists
in the Nigeria are my friends. I did not keep friends with people who are not
better than me. As a journalist, if you want reinvent yourself, you want to be
better you cannot afford to keeping moving with people that have nothing to
achieve in journalism. You should move
with journalists that you can get in touch with to know investigative stories
that you think people want to read and new things around you that you can work
on. That is the perspective we ought to
have as journalists. That is how to reinvent yourself as a journalist but if
you move with journalists that are only interested in press releases you cannot
reinvent yourself. “
The Editor, SUNDAY PUNCH, Miss Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye, was
recently announced the winner of the prestigious Knight International
Journalism Award spoke on mentoring. She posited that if young journalists must
break through in journalism profession, they must look up to people in the
industry that will help them to grow.
The United States-based International Centre for Journalists
awards the global prize, which has been described as journalism’s premier
award, to outstanding journalists whose works make a major difference in the
lives of people announcing Ogunseye as one of the winners did not surprise many
people. Ogunseye who was named alongside Mexican freelance journalist,
Alejandra Xanic von Bertrab, the first Mexican reporter to win the prestigious
US journalism prize, the Pulitzer Prize has won over 25 awards in her 10 years
journalism career.
In view of these achievements by Miss Ogunseye, yours truly
will not mince words to advocate for building re-invention of journalism on
this stone. Miss Toyosi Ogunseye is the youngest and first female editor in the
40-year history of PUNCH, a widely read Lagos newspaper. Toyosi is not only
intelligent, beautiful and humble, she is passionate about journalism.
If journalism must re-invent in Nigeria, editors must agree
that Toyosi has set a standard that can be built upon. Toyosi that I know is painstakingly
thorough, practically objective, highly professional and passionate,
essentially pointed and frank in her job.
Unlike many 5 W$H journalists who wait for press releases
and brown envelope, Toyosi has made us to know that with diligent, hardworking
and resilient journalism can pay what Medical, Law and Engineering professions
pay.
In a glittering
10-year journalism career, Ogunseye has been the recipient of 25 awards. These
include the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Awards in the MSD
Health and Medical category, in 2011 and 2013; the Wole Soyinka Award for
Investigative Reporting; the Nigerian Academy of Science award in 2013; the
Nobert Zongo Investigative Journalism prizes, among others.
Ogunseye was recently shortlisted by the US to participate
in President Barack Obama’s Young African Leadership Initiative in the US.
Ogunseye is an advocate for the empowerment of young people
and gives self-development talks locally and internationally to young people.
She is skilled in media, communications and scientific research. She holds a
B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Lagos, a Post Graduate Diploma in
Print Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, M.Sc. in Media and
Communication from the Pan-Atlantic University and is currently studying for a
Ph.D. in Politics and International Relations at the University of Leicester.
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