Gbemiga Ogunleye
Does a degree make you a journalist? Should AI be in our newsrooms? These are the questions stirring Nigeria’s media world right now. I have followed the debates and now decided to share my perspective, rooted in experience, global trends, and a belief in innovation.
I have listened to all sides and decided to share my thoughts. My own journey has been far from conventional, and I believe the real conversation isn’t just about degrees or technology. It’s about ethics, skills, and adapting to change without losing our public responsibility.
First, let’s talk about the journalism qualification debate. Before I even delve into the real issues, I keep thinking about Flutterwave, Moniepoint, Paystack, and all these are beautiful fintech innovations in Nigeria today. I was wondering whether traditional bankers and accountants called these tech bros amateurs years ago when those guys changed the game? Well, that is how innovation is, it takes a reinvention of what’s existing and bringing it on in new formats. That’s why when the printing press replaced wireless telegraphy years ago, it was a new wave. Same way cable changed the game for television, and how streaming services are now changing the game for television in today’s world. Life is like that.
So back to who’s qualified to be a journalist, I guess it depends on who you are asking, and the context. But bear in mind, the only thing that makes journalism different from every other endeavor is the ethical consideration, fidelity to the public, and the agenda-setting responsibility to hold power to account. So, whether you hold a degree or multiple degrees, as long as what you are doing doesn’t meet these marks, you may be doing something else.
In fact, if you check the top media organizations around the world, you will realize that the skill and character to do the job are far more important than the degree. In Nigeria, if you hold a bachelor’s in Education Mathematics like myself, you may never be able to study for a master’s in media. But hehe! I was funded by the UK government to study Media and Development at the world’s best school for development studies because, in those societies, your experience and readiness to study outweigh the paper certificates.
I once shared how I have been teaching a few undergraduates in a top American university and how they have different majors and backgrounds. I have a student who is a Finance major but taking media as a minor. What an interesting combination. The world has moved.
In fact, serious media organizations today deliberately hire trained accountants, trained medical doctors, and other professionals as journalists to report on niche sectors. If you must report on issues, you must do so from a knowledgeable standpoint. Those who categorize journalism and media as interdisciplinary know exactly what they are doing.
The relationship between journalism from the past and what it is today has changed. In fact, news consumers of many years ago are now themselves news producers. And in today’s world, news organizations now rely on social media influencers to pick their stories and make them go viral. They rely on big tech to track analytics.
While all of these things are changing, we cannot be left to start thinking about what doesn’t matter but rather, come together and discuss how to benefit from the digital transformation happening now.
Now, let’s talk about the TVC AI anchors debate. What TVC deserves is commendation, not condemnation. The question is not about who studied journalism, but who’s upholding the basic principles of ethics, balance, and fairness.
I think we all need to take a pause and first applaud TVC for leading the pack and doing something extraordinary, especially in an industry that always reports the news about others and not about itself. What TVC has done is show the world that Nigeria is ready to play in the AI game, and not just report it.
As someone who works for the first indigenous organization that introduced fact-checking to the country and an organization that has funded the most investigative journalism work in the last 10 years in West Africa, one of the many concerns we have faced when working with journalists is the ideology of wanting to do things the way of the past. It has taken us years to change the game in a few ways. But ehehe! What is interesting is that AI for journalism is not a thing of whether it will be adopted or not—the simple truth is that anyone who refuses to be a part of it will be left behind.
Of course, I understand why some fear that AI might replace jobs—but history shows that while some roles evolve or fade, new opportunities always emerge for those willing to adapt. If you are in doubt, remember that we still have typewriters and typists today, but how many people use them? Only the typists of yesterday who upgraded their game are part of the innovation today.
Ogunleye was former provost, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos.
We can talk about AI adoption in journalism and the need for ethical, safe, and responsible adoption side by side without demonizing an organization for waking up to the innovation of today and simply leading the charge. Change will come, with or without our permission. The only choice we have is whether to shape it or be shaped by it.
Being a paper delivered at IPC, Ogba, Lagos recently.
