A veteran journalist, Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin, says there is no better pathway to success than through the journalism profession.
Adedoyin represents Nigeria and Africa on the Executive Board of the International Press Institute (IPI) in Vienna, Austria.
He said this on Monday while receiving an Award of Recognition from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin.
He said: “In my over 40 years of journalism experience, I realised that journalists can become successful through their work.
“They can get fame, wealth, and would not even be forgotten in society.”
Adedoyin, a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) as well as former Kwara State Commissioner of Information, however, lamented that some journalists have commercialised the profession.
According to him, some journalists are unable to speak truth to power because they have been compromised.
He said: “As a journalist, do your work well, be ethical, fear Almighty God, and know that your meal ticket is guaranteed through doing the job in a professional way.
“Also, try and mentor young journalists.
“The best way to mentor them is by seeing you being ethical and doing a great job yourself.
“You will be what they want to be, simply by looking at you.
“I am proud to see all my colleagues attaining success and top positions after three decades of professional journalism work.”
The award winner said philanthropism was ingrained in the Adedoyin family.
He cited the case of his late father who devoted his life to community service.
He said: “I have elevated my work beyond community service.
“Wherever I find myself, whether in the classroom or newsroom, I am always ready to mentor people and engage them in a manner that ensures their growth.
“Philanthropy is not all about empowering people financially or distributing items.
“The greatest philanthropy is making people do better than they are doing.
“This is the reason why I have been teaching students in this university for the past eight years without collecting anything in return.”
The veteran journalist also called for caution in the use of Artificial Intelligence.
