Varsity Don Charges Journalists On Professional Ethics

A Professor of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, Ismail Adegboyega Ibraheem, has called on journalists to uphold their professional ethics. He has also advocated for reforming media practices to prioritise ethical reporting, factual analysis, and historical integrity.

The scholar from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, stressed this position amongst other recommendations when he delivered the university’s 5th inaugural.

Titled “Casino-Journalism and the End of History,” the event, which marked the university’s final inaugural lecture of 2024, attracted a vast audience, both in person and virtually, to the renowned J. F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium.

Drawing on his vast expertise in journalism, communication studies, and international relations, Professor Ibraheem illuminated the crucial relationship between media integrity and democratic resilience.

His thought-provoking lecture introduced the concept of Casino Journalism, which he described as a sensational and profit-driven form of media that prioritises entertainment and viral content over factual, ethical reporting.

This practice, he argued, compromises the quality of public discourse, reduces critical issues to soundbites, and undermines informed civic participation.

The lecture referenced several infamous cases in Nigerian media history, including the Abacha 2 Million Man March, which, he explained, was misrepresented by a sensationalised narrative from the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO).

He argued that the CLO’s use of ‘Casino journalism’ tactics to delegitimise the march amplified sensationalism and diverted attention from the deeper issues of governance, human rights, and democracy.