By Saheed Ibrahim

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Communication professionals must adhere to ethical standards and acquire relevant skills to effectively discharge their duties.

This advice was the key message at the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ondo State chapter’s annual general meeting and public lecture in Akure, themed “The Intersection of Journalism in Public Relations and Advertising and Its Impact on Society.”

In his lecture, Director of Media and Corporate Communications at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Felix Ale, emphasized that journalistic integrity and ethics are non-negotiable concepts that must not be compromised.

He stressed the need for three distinct roles of representation, dialogue, and advisory to promote PR goals and objectives in society.

Dr. Ale stated that PR, journalism, and advertising impact society by providing avenues for communication, goodwill, and understanding between an organization and its publics.

He also noted that the social, economic, and political significance of journalism cannot be understated, as it has a longstanding tradition of providing the public with accurate information.

He expressed concern that journalism had been used to misinform the public and new media technologies have changed the traditional relationship between journalists and their audience, empowering others to inform the public without adhering to established principles and values.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Occasion, Dr. Dayo Duyile, emphasized the importance of journalists and Public Relations practitioners maintaining good record-keeping practices, as this enhances the credibility of the profession and its practitioners.

Duyile stressed that writing informative books is one of the functions of PR practitioners, urging them to uphold good practices.

He pointed out the distinction between PR and journalism, urging the NIPR to educate the public about what PR truly represents.

While emphasizing the ethics of journalism, the octogenarian stressed that journalists must acquire relevant skills through training to become PR practitioners.

Duyile also emphasized that “journalism is not a ‘Yahoo’ business,” as it has unfortunately been perceived in recent times.

While appreciating members of the profession for their support during his tenure, the outgoing Chairman of Ondo NIPR, Lamidi Ishola, underscored that NIPR is a prestigious professional body, urging members must ensure they uphold professional practice.

Election and inauguration of new executive members were done.