Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to congratulate the Christian Press Association of Nigeria ( CPAN) on today’s inauguration of your new executive and annual public lecture. I thank the planning committee for the honour of being the inaugural speaker at the lecture which is a worthwhile addition to platforms for discussing issues of national importance.
Members of the Christian Publishers Association of Nigeria(CPAN) in a group photograph after the swearing in of new executives and the inaugural lecture of the association Tuesday. in the middle is Executive Editor,Newdawnngr.com,Tunde Abatan,who delivered the lecture on behalf of Lekan Otufodunrin,chief executive of Media Career Services
Today’s event is indeed commendable and its an indication of the progress your association has made in achieving the goals and objectives you set for yourselves at inception.
My prayer is that the almighty God will continue to grant you wisdom and the resources to play the roles expected of you as a major stakeholder in the Christian community in our country and beyond.
The role of the media in providing especially information and education is very crucial to the wellbeing and development of any society. The public needs to be constantly provided with necessary information about various happenings at all levels and also educated about issues to help them in taking crucial decisions about their daily lives.
Beyond informing and educating, the media also has the role of holding the government and other authorities accountable to the people. In a democratic dispensation like we have in our country, the media being the fourth estate of the realm is crucial to it success.
It is against the above background that I want to address the topic of Christian News Reporting: The Prospects and National Development.
Though the origin of the print media in Nigeria dates back to 1859 when Iwe Iroyin was published in Abeokuta by Christian missionaries, I do not recall my lecturers in Mass Communication in University of Lagos saying anything about Christian News Reporting.
What we learnt was the definition of news jocularly said to be when man bites a dog and not when dog bites a man and what was involved in news gathering and writing.
Like we have all found out, there is more to what we learnt in the four walls of the University. We have since come to terms that there is indeed Christian News Reporting and there are publishers like members of CPAN who have a commitment to reporting Christian events and issues.
Christian News Reporting can be said to be reporting the good news of the gospel and any other Christian religious activities and programmes. It can also be reporting secular issues from Christian perspectives.
Just like the secular press have blossomed over the years, the Christian press has also grown with newspapers, magazines, journals and broadcast stations reporting news and issues.
Despite various challenges , I want to commend publishers like all of you in CPAN who have remained faithful to publishing Christian news.
While the secular media covers Christian news, so many things happen in the Christian circles that they do not have space or airtime for. When they do, they charge an amount of money that only few Christian organizations or corporate organizations can afford to get publicity for their events.
There are also concerns about what the secular media reports about Christianity. Some seem to specialise in portraying Christianity in bad light with reports of all kinds of misdemeanors by some so- called Pastors. Churches and other Christian organizations are definitely doing much more than are being reported .
What cannot be denied is that the Nigerian Church has contributed a lot to the development of the country, but not enough credit is being given to them. There is the impression for example that Pentecostal Churches are only about prosperity preaching, but this is not true.
Issues of persecution in the Northern parts of the country are not also receiving adequate coverage.
Given the lack of adequate reporting of Christian news, there is need for more and nationwide reporting of Christian issues in all ramifications.
There is indeed prospects for Christian news publishing on all available multimedia platforms.
At a time when the cost of printing is making it almost unaffordable to continue publishing Christian magazines and newspapers, online publishing must be explored based on understanding of the digital knowledge required to make maximum impact.
I am glad to note that most, if not all of CPAN members now have functional websites and I want to urge you to step- up what you have been doing online. The advantage you have online is that unlike when some normally publish monthly, you can publish not only daily, but in real time as news is breaking.
God’s commandment is that we should occupy till He comes and the digital platforms are also part of what we need to occupy to take the good news to the end of the earth.
The point must be made that while reporting is just a job for secular reporters, it is a call for us who are Christian News publishers and we must be conscious of doing it in a way that will be acceptable to God.
We must however not be no less professional in publishing Christian news and must avoid going the way of some who publish falsehood and cause dissatisfaction to get more readers.
To ensure wider reach, our publications should not only be in English language but languages more accessible to Christians across the country.
We will need to go beyond reporting only Christian news in urban areas, but going to rural communities, mission field and other sources of Christian news.
We should pay more attention to the plight of Christians where they are in the minority and are being persecuted for their faith. Christian news is not only about the glamour in cities, but the sacrifices many of our brethren are making where they are not allowed their religious freedom.
We will definitely need the understanding and support of particularly Church leaders, some of whom don’t understand that ours is a complimentary ministry for the spreading of the gospel.
We must also keep doing our best to counter false narrative about Christianity. While not condoning any ills, we must let the world know how we are contributing our quota to national development.
If we as Christian magazine publishers don’t give enough attention to publishing Christian News, nobody will. We have a duty to constantly amplify the various messages of hope and peace from the pulpit in a way the secular media may not.
It used to be that we had major national Christian magazines, that is not the case now. We need national Christian publications that has wide readership.
Publication of Christian News will contribute to national development when we highlight issues that can unite us as a country and not divide us.
It will when we offer a truly Christian perspective on various matters arising in the country.
Once again, I want to commend you all for yielding to the tough task of Christian publishing which in most cases is not for profit, but for the propagation of the gospel. My prayer is that the Lord will continue to strengthen you and provide what you need to keep reporting Christian news.
