Media industry still in recession, say editors

•Task govt on conducive environment

THE Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) says the media industry is still in recession, urging the Federal Government to enthrone a conducive environment that could make the sector flourish.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with the theme, Balancingprofessionalism, Advocacyandbusiness , members were challenged on excellence and identification of other revenueyielding ventures for a more secure future after the newsroom.

Signed by the guild’s presi- dent and general secretary, Funke Egbemode and Victoria Ibanga, the communiqué reads: “That editors, in addition to their editorial functions, should concern themselves with the business side of the media industry to ensure that their establishments thrive, and that their venture into business upon retirement will be knowledge-based and experienceenriched from their service years.”

The conference said mass communication departments and journalism training institutions must include business courses in their curricula to prepare future editors for the business side of the media industry.

The editors, however, appealed to the federal and state governments to clear outstanding gratuities and pensions of their retired colleagues and other classes of retirees to make post-retirement life less stressful.

Also, the guild commended the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for curtailing activities of insurgents, militants and other groups threatening the peace and security of the country, but it, however, regretted the encroachment on its land in Guzape, Abuja. The senior journalists appreciated the pledge by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to redress the situation.

The gathering insisted that the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and other media stakeholders should collaborate to set up newsprint production companies and revive the moribund one in Oku Iboku, Akwa Ibom State to address the high cost of importing the product.

The highlight was the amendment of the constitution to allow line editors who have published consistently for five years to be members of the guild.