-By sdnonline-

The governing council of Covenant University (CU) Ota, Ogun state has appointed Dr. Kehinde Oyesomi as Head of Department (HOD), Mass Communication. Oyesomi, by the appointment becomes the first female HOD of the Department, effective Friday, 23^rd October, 2020.

Before the appointment, she was the Coordinator of Departmental Affairs as well as Chair of Research and Publications, and Coordinator of Postgraduate Studies Programme at the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University.

Oyesomi, who is a senior lecturer in the institution, has 15 years working experience spanning journalism, corporate communications and teaching. She holds BSc and MSc degrees in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and PhD in Mass Communication from Covenant University. She also obtained a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from North West University, South Africa. 

An award winner during her undergraduate (Best student in Media Planning, overall best student in Public Relations and Advertising), Oyesomi, during her NYSC days in Enugu State researched and wrote a book on HIV/AIDS which was circulated round secondary schools in the State. She has written several research papers and a recipient of grant awards through which she has traversed wider terrains in different but related fields of media and gender, development communication, Journalism and Public Relations.

Passionate and energetic in matters of women and children, and community development service, Oyesomi is a member of the International Association for Minority Language Media Research (IAMLMR), African Council for Communication Education (ACCE),  Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), South African Communications Association (SACOMM), Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) among other international bodies and fora, and she  is a reviewer and editorial board member for several local and international journals.

She has also published in several local and international high impact journals. She also has book chapters and one edited book to her credit.

She is also currently the Founder/Editor- in- Chief, Cooperative World, a magazine publication of Covenant University Cooperative Society and the immediate PRO of the society.

–By sdnonline–

The International Press Centre (IPC)  is extremely concerned about latest happenings in the country with respect to the #ENDSARS and #ENDSWAT protests especially the targeting of media institutions and harrassment of journalists.

IPC particularly condemns the Wednesday, October 21, 2020, arson attack on Television Continental (TVC) as well as the molestation of the journalists and other media professionals working in the establishment by a mob.

The organisation equally criticises the assault on some security personnel attached to Channels Television that led to temporary halting of broadcasts by the station.

It also decries the attack on Toyin Yusuf, a journalist with Osun State Broadcasting Corporation and another member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists by some angry youths while covering the protests in the state.

IPC further condemns the prevention of an Arise TV crew from carrying out their legitimate duty at the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, by a group of soldiers also today, Wednesday, October 21.

Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, warned that molestation of journalists and other media professionals either by the security agents, mobs or protesters was not acceptable. “The media and journalists have the legitimacy to report the current crisis across the country with a view to bringing truthful account to the citizens and under no circumstances should they be subjected to hardship in the course of doing that. We therefore condemn in totality the various attacks so far recorded and demand that they should stop.”

According to Arogundade, the security agents should instead of firing live bullets at peaceful protesters confront those engaging in arson with a view to bringing them to justice.

He enjoined the security operatives to take necessary actions to ensure a safe environment for journalists and other media professionals to carry out their duties unhindered while enforcing the curfew imposed in Lagos and some other states.

The Executive Director also said it was imperative for journalists covering and reporting the #EndSARS protests and the fall out to stick to the principles of good and conflict sensitive journalism that require balance, shunning of bias, avoidance of hate speech, discipline of verification, fact checking, use of reliable sources, giving voice to victims and the affected, and thorough investigation of claims and counter-claims.