Solely lazy journalists ought to be afraid of Synthetic Intelligence — Ex-NEXT editor

Kadaria Ahmed, the founding father of RadioNow, has described the worry over the appearance of synthetic intelligence as misplaced, stating that solely lazy journalists threat dropping their jobs to machines.

Ms Ahmed mentioned this throughout a panel session on Wednesday on the public presentation of a guide by the Vice Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of Management newspaper, Azu Ishiekwene, in Abuja.

The guide, “Writing for Media and Monetising It,” was revealed by Premium Occasions Books and unveiled on the occasion attended by media consultants, authorities officers, buddies, and household.

The panel comprised Abiodun Adeniyi, a professor of Mass Communication at Baze College in Abuja; Ms Ahmed; Emeke Ishiekwene, CEO of Aigis and Blue; and the Group Chief Govt Officer of Media Belief Restricted, Ahmed Shekarau.

Talking on the overall worry round AI, Ms Ahmed mentioned the know-how can solely help journalists in optimising their work however can’t exchange nice work round accountability and holding the federal government accountable.

She mentioned journalists will all the time be forward in agenda-setting and bringing nuance into reportage.

She burdened that solely journalists who fail to adapt are susceptible to dropping their jobs, whereas revolutionary media organisations will proceed to thrive on the earth of AI.

“There may be quite a lot of worry round—individuals saying AI is coming to take our jobs. AI won’t take your job except you’re a lazy journalist as a result of, on the coronary heart of journalism, accountability journalism is holding energy accountable and making certain that you just set the agenda. No machine goes to do this.

“In case you are the type that may be a press launch, cut-and-paste journalist—the place you’re taking press releases and cut-and-paste them in your newspaper, radio, or TV—then sure, you need to be afraid of AI.

“AI goes to be a software that will allow you to do quite a lot of issues. I’m fascinated by the potential for utilizing blockchain know-how to do quite a lot of issues,” she mentioned.

AI has grow to be a topic of great public discourse in the previous few years, significantly within the media.

Whereas journalists have been ready to make use of instruments like Claimbuster, Wordsmith, OpenAI’s GPT, and others to assist their craft, there are issues over job displacement as AI takes over duties historically carried out by people.

‘Be taught from PREMIUM TIMES’

Talking on the monetary pressure within the sector, Ms Ahmed, a former editor of the defunct NEXT newspaper, mentioned media retailers should study from PREMIUM TIMES how one can generate content material and monetise it to yield extra funds.

She acknowledged that opposite to the overall notion of a decline in commercial income; obtainable info reveals that more cash is spent on promoting. Nonetheless, the funds are flowing to leisure content material.

Quoting a report from PwC, Ms Ahmed mentioned Nigeria’s promoting trade recorded an estimated spending of N605 billion in 2023, projected to hit N893 billion by 2028.

“I feel we have to make a distinction. Media is an all-encompassing time period. There’s a distinction between leisure media and information media, which is what all of us right here do—journalism, holding individuals in energy accountable—which could be very distinct from creating content material that seeks to entertain individuals.

“So there is part of the digital media that’s rising exponentially. The a part of the media that isn’t rising by way of monetisation is the arduous half, the half that we want probably the most as a result of on the earth of misinformation, pretend information, and disinformation, and in an age when governments have gotten authoritarian, as we see even in locations like the USA and Europe, the work of holding energy to account is actually important. The problem is discovering how to do this work whereas on the similar time persevering with to make cash in a approach that doesn’t compromise you.

“Throughout the media area, PREMIUM TIMES is exhibiting the way in which on how one can monetise whereas persevering with to do the work of investigative and accountability journalism. They’ve a publishing arm,” she mentioned.

She urged media homes to both scale or carve a distinct segment to outlive within the present market.

Nevertheless, Mr Shekarau maintained that there was an enormous decline within the obtainable funds for commercial, forcing a number of media platforms to search for sensible methods to chop prices to remain afloat.

Mr Shekarau introduced that his organisation has put in place some cost-cutting measures to remain afloat within the face of declining income. One of many measures, he mentioned, was the consolidation of the flagship Saturday and Sunday editions of Day by day Belief right into a single weekend version.

“For example, (Day by day) Belief has determined that we’re collapsing our Sunday and Saturday editions into one-weekend title. That could be a artistic approach of managing the price. We’ve additionally developed shared providers as a media group. Generally, when we now have occasions, we ship one reporter with a TV cameraman to cowl for 2 or three of our platforms as a substitute of sending three individuals,” he mentioned.

The CEO famous that media platforms should consider artistic methods to earn earnings, whereas journalists should develop entrepreneurial abilities.

“Media homes should assume innovatively to give you new income streams for media platforms. There may be a lot cash that’s shifting away from mainstream media in the direction of leisure media.

“In our clime, there are organisations like Enterprise Day which can be truly turning the nook by way of revolutionary methods of getting income. I had two encounters with the publishers of Enterprise Day, throughout which they instructed me how Enterprise Day is definitely utilizing occasions and conferences to extend its income stream by as much as 25 per cent.

“PREMIUM TIMES has been utilizing the PREMIUM TIMES publishing arm to additionally help revenues that they get from different streams.

“There may be nonetheless a sound level of whether or not our colleagues are literally ready to transition from simply being journalists to being entrepreneurs,” he mentioned.

E book Evaluate

E book reviewer Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson and anchor at Come up TV, acknowledged that the guide is a basic that media colleges in Nigeria should undertake.

He additionally talked extensively concerning the want for extra linkage between journalism colleges and the apply of journalism in Nigeria.

He added that the character of the newsroom has modified, and journalism should study to remain within the sport longer within the face of the risk posed by Synthetic Intelligence.

“I need to say that this guide I’ve loved very a lot. One among my worries is the disconnect between the schools and polytechnics and journalism apply, elevating questions concerning the educating of journalism in Nigeria, significantly the curriculum. In different jurisdictions, those that train in journalism colleges are largely individuals who’ve been skilled practitioners, main award winners, and writers; this isn’t essentially the case in Nigeria.

“I stand to be corrected. I dare say most individuals educating journalism in Nigeria solely have the levels however have by no means been to a newsroom or had a microphone pinned to their chest. Many have by no means written a letter to the editor worthy of publication. And but, they churn out college students who’re very sensible in quoting a protracted record of lifeless theories however need assistance to put in writing a profitable paragraph. Their academics have no idea any higher.

“Journalism ought to be taught by those that have been within the subject, and maybe this precept ought to be utilized in different jurisdictions to ascertain,” Mr Abati mentioned.

He additionally mentioned the writer ought to have created a chapter to debate ethics to offer stability.

The guide’s unveiling was attended by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo; the Minister of Data and Nationwide Orientation, Mohammed Idris; the Particular Adviser to the President on Data and Technique, Bayo Onanuga; and several other others.