Media Practitioners Must Combine Creativity With Ethics, Publisher Of Brand Communicator Tells Young Creators

Publisher of Brand Communicator Magazine, Joshua Ajayi, has urged young creatives to combine speed with accuracy, technology with sound judgment, and creativity with strong ethical standards as they seek to build sustainable careers in the rapidly evolving media industry.

Ajayi gave the charge through Usukuma Ntia, Editor of Brand Communicator Magazine, who represented him at the maiden Future Creators Summit, held over the weekend at RCCG Rivers of Joy Parish, Maryland, Lagos. The keynote was titled “From Passion to Profit: Building a Successful Career in Media.”

Speaking to young and emerging creatives, Ntia said the modern media practitioner could no longer afford to specialise in only one area, as journalists and content professionals are increasingly expected to research and write stories, produce videos and photographs, conduct live broadcasts, create social media versions of stories and produce audio content.

He, however, stressed that the growing influence of technology does not diminish the importance of traditional journalism skills such as strong writing, research, interviewing, verification and ethical judgment.

According to him, misinformation and digital manipulation have also made verification more important, urging practitioners to authenticate images and videos, examine documents, check timestamps, and verify information with credible sources before publication.

Ntia identified investigative journalism as an area that could give media platforms a competitive edge, noting that emerging tools such as public databases, corporate records, Freedom of Information requests and social media investigations have expanded journalists’ capacity to uncover wrongdoing across sectors.

He also warned young practitioners about growing risks associated with journalism, including digital surveillance, online abuse, coordinated harassment and attacks on journalists’ reputations.

“Your credibility is one of the few assets that follow you everywhere. It takes years to build and can disappear very quickly,” he said, urging practitioners to reject plagiarism, bribery, fabrication and shortcuts in verification.

He further encouraged aspiring media professionals to build portfolios before securing formal employment, develop expertise in specific fields, gain newsroom experience where possible and learn skills that the market is willing to pay for.

The summit, themed “Creating With Purpose,” was convened by Abimbola Akingbade under Harkynb Creators Academy, an arm of Harkynb Production.

In his welcome address, Akingbade said the summit was founded on the belief that talent alone was not enough to succeed in Africa’s growing creative economy.

“We need knowledge, mentorship, access, collaboration, opportunities, and purpose,” he said, urging participants to move beyond simply creating content to understanding who they are creating for, what problems they are solving and what value they are adding.

The summit featured keynote sessions, panel discussions and a fireside chat covering different aspects of the creative industry.

Femi Oyewunmi addressed “Purpose, Profit & Legacy: How Creators Can Build Wealth That Lasts.”

The Photography Panel, moderated by Oluwalobamise, featured Tobbinator, Adesoji Ajayi and Jerry, while the Video Editor Panel, moderated by Kitan Bankole, featured Computer Peter, Temi Trapper and Aliu.

The Filmmaker/Cinematographer Panel, also moderated by Baacross photography, video editing, filmmaking, scriptwriting and content creation, including Tobbinator, Computer Peter, Dotun Tunde and Toluwalope. nkole, featured Adedotun Ololade, Huzzain Bello and BabaTunde Soleye.

The Content Creator Panel, moderated by Oluwalobamise, featured Mosopejojo Mayungbe and Toluwalope Ajayi.

The summit concluded with a fireside chat featuring creatives across Nigeria..