Afrigather My media profession journey began about 40 years in the past as a mass communication undergraduate of the College of Nigeria, Nsukka. Print media have been my favorite and that also subsists, so my response to the YouTube movies is in print not Replace.
Let me begin with a abstract of my response: One, Nigerian YouTubers have the appropriate to place no matter content material they need on their channels (together with selling and celebrating Ghana/Ghanaians and different international locations).
Two, Nigerian YouTubers, wherever they’re, are below no obligation to advertise Nigeria’s picture. Patriotism will not be compulsory although advisable. Three, in the event you denigrate Nigeria/Nigerians, we’ve a proper to reply.
4, there’s a distinction between constructive criticisms and damaging criticisms. It’s advisable to comprehend it. 5, although social media are comparatively current, the position and guidelines of the mass media subsist: balanced reporting, balanced mirroring of the society, dissemination of data, leisure of your viewers, titillating the bored, watchdog and exposing the wrongs within the society, gatekeeping, agenda setting, and so on.
In case you learn feedback from Ghanaians on Nigeria/Nigerians and Nigerians on Ghana/Ghanaians on social media, you can be shocked. It’s as if each international locations are at warfare fuelled by the social media. In 2022, felt so involved that I wrote two articles however modified my thoughts and didn’t publish any. I did so partly as a result of I did a content material evaluation of Nigerian and Ghanaian newspapers they usually have been dominated by inner points. I noticed just one little story on every nation on each media. Seeing that the “warfare” was restricted to social media, I suggested some YouTubers on each side, however it fell on deaf ears.
Right this moment, my response is on the movies of some Ghana-based Nigerian YouTubers whose deliberate acts of fee or omission, in my view, are aimed toward placing Nigeria and Nigerians to odium and mock. Their makes an attempt are workouts in futility, however I’ll write about their movies all the identical. My focus is on their movies, not the YouTubers, although these whose movies I’m reacting to will definitely know.
Even in the event you have been born a Nigerian, you’re below no obligation to stay a Nigerian. If you’re ashamed or embarrassed of being Nigerian, or you haven’t any love for motherland anymore, you possibly can naturalize and alter your nationality to a rustic of your selection. There is no such thing as a must lament about being a Nigerian, though being an answer supplier is nice. Train your freedom of selection. Some Nigerians have taken citizenship of different international locations. Some foreigners have additionally naturalized to turn into Nigerians and others have utilized for Nigerian citizenship. It’s a free world.
A few of you have been completely happy throwing mud at Nigeria and constructing your YouTube channels’ subscriber base and viewership on whipping up hate for Nigerians and Nigeria. Dangerous information and controversy are scorching muffins in rising social media platforms. However now the dangerous title you helped to create and perpetuate about Nigeria is catching up with you, a few of you’re lamenting, complaining and making an attempt to place out wild fires you began like a candle mild. Once you throw sh*t on the fan, it splashes on everyone round with out distinguishing. The sh*t you threw on the fan is splashing on you straight and also you are actually complaining? Cease complaining. Your place to begin needs to be cleansing the mess you partly created in Ghana and elsewhere.
Apparently, a few of you haven’t any formal coaching in mass communication. You in all probability came across YouTube as a hustle or curiosity, and there’s no drawback with that. However in as of late of web, it’s best to have studied the position and capabilities of the mass media. You have been in all probability solely obsessive about the “pen is mightier than the sword,” the large powers of the media otherwise you had another motives. The facility the mass media confer on you goes with concomitant obligations, so it is advisable to watch out the way you deploy these monumental powers as a result of they’ll boomerang, particularly as of late when your audience have powers and a number of sources to answer. You want to come down out of your excessive horses.
