By Timothy Ekpo
UYO
The deputy governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, has said that operators of the social media have made it difficult for practitioners of journalism to live up to expectation.
Mr Moses Ekpo stated this when the executive of Communication Art Students Association, University of Uyo paid him a courtesy call at Government House, Uyo.
Addressing the executive led by the president, Mr Inyene Ekpenyong, the deputy governor said they were getting into a profession which terrian was becoming very discouraging due the activities of new media operators whom he claimed have made it difficult for professional journalists to operate.
He said the new media has to provided a freer operating ground for communication to thrive but unfortunately the platform has been used to tell lies and mislead the people, stressing that the development has pitched people against the soceity which is supposed to be well informed.
The deputy governor advised the students not to key into the negative aspect of the new media, saying journalists were supposed to be people who speak and write the truth to help redirect the minds of people.
He noted that it was his hope that as they got into these expectations, their training period should provide them the opportunity to change the prevailing standard, adding that if the truth was not worth publishing, it could never be the truth.
Mr Ekpo said that it was sad that they at are home away from their studies occasioned by the ongoing strike in the university system. He told the students that the education affairs have not been properly managed by government.
The deputy governor charged them to make good use of the strike period to study on their own, practice their art, make contributions to newspapers on issues to earn their living even as lineage.
He told them that choosing a profession that is vary strong as journalists and communicators, they were expected to know almost everything to be able to communicate, be objective and avoid financial inducement as such could endanger the practice.
Earlier, the president, Mr Inyene Ekpenyong, said they came to see the deputy governor who as veteran journalist, and has a lot to offer to upcoming ones in the media profession.
The president of the association noted that it was their hope that Mr Moses Ekpo would inspire them to stay focused on the practice of journalism.
He commended the deputy governor for giving them audience and stressed that they were deeply encouraged as students and would put in their best to serve the society on completion of their trading.
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