The first female professor of mass communication in Nigeria and a three-time commissioner in Anambra State, Prof Chinyere Okunna, speaks to The Punch about the journalism profession and other issues.
What challenges did you encounter as the first female professor of mass communication?
After becoming the first female professor of Mass Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa, I remained the only female professor of Mass Communication in Nigeria for more than a decade, and was feeling a bit ‘lonely’ up there. Mass Communication/journalism education is somehow a ‘glamorous’ field of study and was male-dominated for a long time,. Understandably therefore, a major challenge was being conscious at all times that many women, particularly those younger than me or junior to me in academics, as well as female students, were looking up to me as a role model. Perhaps, this could have put me under some psychological pressure in terms of comportment and providing guidance and mentorship for those looking up to me. Although mentoring has always been a strong part of both my private and professional life, being constantly in the limelight as the role model I was expected to be must have constituted some kind of challenge.
Do you think the media is doing enough in playing its role as a gate-keeper and agenda-setter in society?
In a democracy, there is a clear-cut function for the media. They are to be the watchdog; to keep an eye on what the government is doing and call to order those who are governing.
Some countries allow the press to have that freedom unfettered. But in some places, there are impediments on the path of the media. Basically, the media often performs as well the political structure allows them to perform. We all know that in this part of the world, press freedom, freedom of speech and other watchdog functions don’t always apply. Most government-media are practically lapdogs for the authorities.
Credit: punchng.com
The post I’m happy and fulfilled -Nigeria’s first female Mass Com. Prof. reveals appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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