{"id":6127,"date":"2020-01-11T18:59:41","date_gmt":"2020-01-11T18:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/ng\/?p=6127"},"modified":"2020-01-11T18:59:41","modified_gmt":"2020-01-11T18:59:41","slug":"the-god-father-of-general-interest-news-stories-in-nigeria-break-silence-kunle-bakare-mayor-akinpelu-i-established-fame-weekly-magazine-successfully-nigerias-biggest-and-most-famous-journal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/the-god-father-of-general-interest-news-stories-in-nigeria-break-silence-kunle-bakare-mayor-akinpelu-i-established-fame-weekly-magazine-successfully-nigerias-biggest-and-most-famous-journal\/","title":{"rendered":"The god-father of General Interest News Stories in Nigeria break silence: ‘KUNLE Bakare, MAYOR Akinpelu & I established Fame Weekly Magazine successfully, Nigeria’s Biggest and Most Famous Journal ever’ -FEMI AKINTUNDE JOHNSON (FAJ) …Unpublished reasons why I left National Encomium Magazine, embraced higher media calling * The Nigerian Press has continued to perform in commensurate to their relative capacities within the context of the prevailing economic challenges that have restrained print runs, sales and advertising budgets * There’s relative freedom of expression in Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari’s Govt * It is not true that the agitation of few American legislators made the release of Omoyele Sowore and Dasuki possible * Federal Government need to establish an atmosphere of mutual respect and security of life for media practitioners to thrive *Recalls evergreen days in The Punch Newspaper plus highpoint of media career *Teaches Post Graduate students (PGD) a semester on a course called Topical Issues In Mass Communication, with Celebrity Journalism being the keystone at Nigerian Institute of Journalism GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU, America’s Foreign Bureau Chief"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The\ngod-father of General Interest News Stories in Nigeria break silence:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘KUNLE\nBakare, MAYOR Akinpelu & I established Fame Weekly Magazine\nsuccessfully, Nigeria’s Biggest and Most Famous Journal ever’ -FEMI\nAKINTUNDE JOHNSON (FAJ) <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…Unpublished\nreasons why I left National Encomium Magazine, embraced higher media\ncalling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The Nigerian\nPress has continued to perform\nin commensurate to their relative capacities within the context of\nthe prevailing economic challenges that have restrained print runs,\nsales and advertising budgets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

* There’s\nrelative freedom of expression in Nigeria under President Muhammadu\nBuhari’s Govt<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

* It is not\ntrue that the agitation of few\nAmerican legislators made the release of Omoyele Sowore and Dasuki\npossible<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Federal Government need\nto establish an atmosphere of mutual respect and security of life \nfor media practitioners to thrive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Recalls evergreen days in\nThe Punch Newspaper plus highpoint of media career<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Teaches Post Graduate\nstudents (PGD) a semester on a course called Topical Issues In Mass\nCommunication, with Celebrity Journalism being the keystone at\nNigerian Institute of Journalism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HE IS A TOWERING MEDIA\nFIGURE IN NIGERIA, A BRILLIANT, HARDWORKING, FEARLESS, FECUND AND\nHONEST MIND WHO BELIVES FIRMLY IN THE POWER OF INVESTIGATIVE\nJOURNALISM. FEMI AKINTUNDE JOHNSON, famously called ‘FAJ’ across\nAfrica’s most populous black nation on earth is a role model in all\nramification for any media practitioner. In this chit-chat, with\nGEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU, America’s Foreign Bureau Chief FAJ decides to\nbreak his long silence to answer flurry of questions by Naija\nStandard Newspaper editorial board members regarding: Appraisal of\nNigerian Journalists performance under the incumbent administration\nof President Muhammadu Buhari, adventure into journalism, how Fame\nWeekly Magazine reigned as Nigeria’s leader in\nCelebrity\/entertainment and Society reporting; his relationship with\nMayor Akinpelu, Kunle Bakare (two top media personalities in Nigeria)\nand much more…<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naija Standard\nNewspaper: How will you rate the performance of the Nigerian press\nunder the present democracy?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would say commendable…\nwithin the context of the prevailing economic challenges that have\nrestrained print runs, sales and advertising budgets, the Nigerian\nPress has continued to perform at the height commensurate to their\nrelative capacities. Some have been outstandingly consistent, some\nhave improved in quality and distribution; of course, some have had\nto downsize, or even suspend operation, and focus only on their\nonline versions. One can say the past decade has been challenging for\nthe press, but they have sustained the pressure, maintained some\nlevel of professionalism, and acquitted themselves as the voice of\nthe voiceless fairly well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naija Standard\nNewspaper: Will you say the President Muhammadu Buhari’s\nadministration has emasculated the press or offered freedom to the\npress to operate?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well,\nI don’t see acts of emasculation in any way disturbingly obvious…\nThere’s relative freedom of expression in that columnists still\nlambast acts and officials of governments…many of our editorial\nmaterials are critical of government policies as best as they\ncan…there have not been draconian reactions, or overt repressive\nactions from the Federal Government. Rather, it’s the little known\nstate government officials, and political actors in concert with the\npolice, on a number of instances, that have arrested, detained and\nterrorized journalists for vexatious articles, reporting and filming\nnews activities. A case in point is Jones Abiri in Bayelsa, or\nJonathan Ugbal in Calabar; Agba Jalingo has been in detention as a\nconsequence of alleged complaints of the Cross River State\ngovernor…we remember the Kano State house of Assembly face-off with\nthe journalist that exposed the dollar-bribe allegation… Actions of\nour security officials in cohorts with well-positioned Nigerians\nshould engage the urgent and considerate attention of the Federal\nGovernment in establishing an atmosphere of mutual respect and\nsecurity of life, for media practitioners to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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