NIPR IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF JOURNALISM PRACTICE ‘- COMRADE ABU NMODU
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Niger state council Comrade Abu Nmodu says the practice of public relations is an aspect that is rooted from unbundled Mass Communication even as he said that the practitioners should see their calling as an integral part of journalism practice
Comrade Abu Nmodu however faulted the erroneous impression that NUJ members particularly the Information Officers under the State Ministry of Information and Strategy are not professionally qualified to practice Public Relations.
He made this observation stated during an interface with the officials of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, who paid him a courtesy visit at the IBB Pen House on Friday in Minna
According to him, Public Relations practice is an aspect of journalism and that PR practitioners should see journalism as playing dual role as industrial and professional body.
Comrade Abu Nmodu took a cursory journey in to the history of the NIPR and stated that the Institute established by decree No. 16 in 1990 makes the Institute different from the NUJ especially in the aspect of creating image for a brand.
He noted that while NIPR members create image for a brand as a vehicle, Journalism on the order hand provides the basic ethical codes for enhanced professionalism.
He described the code of ethics of Journalism as a broad and all encompassing instrument that allows even the Practice of Public Relations to showcase specifics about brand creation.
The Chairman emphasised that the PR practitioners must partner with their Journalism counterpart in order to achieve the desired objectives of brand and image building assuring the officials of the unflinching support and partnership.
In his remarks the head of the NIPR delegation, Mr. Akin Agbejule said the aim of the visit was to seek for a collaboration between NUJ and the NIPR.
He shed light on the activities of the Institute saying that the body was more than ready to opening a new chapter of pursuing its professional objectives.
Agbejule solicited for strategic and professional synergy for a robust exploration of PR contents in order to have a better delivery to the society.
He further intimated the Chairman that the Institute will be holding it’s Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) by next week Tuesday, 20th February, 2024 and therefore solicited for the full participation of the NUJ.
Highlight of the event was presentation of souvenirs to the NIPR team including the newly launched NUJ Niger Magazine and a group photograph.
