The Executive Director of the Media Career Development Network, Mr Lekan Otufodurin has urged journalists to maximise existing and possible new model opportunities in journalism.

He gave the advice while speaking at an online conference organized by the Digital Literacy Advocacy Club and the Centre for Information Technology and Development through Zoom on Saturday.

While speaking on the theme “Building a media career and breaking news models in a digital age; the pros and cons,” he recalled that as a reporter in the 80s, there were no digital tools to use.

“When I served as an Ogun state reporter for  The Punch, there were no digital means through which I could send news, so I dictated the news I covered word for word through phone,” he said.

The media expert also noted that the digital era has made it easy for journalists to specialize in any aspects of the profession.

According to him, investigative journalism, fact-checking, environmental and impact journalism are the new models which journalists can specialize in depending on the area of interest.

He advised that journalists should learn new media skills, necessary skills beyond writing and master the use of computer beyond typing, adding that journalists cannot survive without the new skills in the present digital age.

The career development expert encouraged journalists to rise beyond the challenge posed by using the new media for breaking news and begin to use it as a leverage for more development as times are fast-changing.

Speaking earlier at the event, the representative of the Centre for Information Technology and Development, Mr Ibrahim Nuhu stressed that the digital age deals with moving from the traditional to the digital age of doing things.

“Digital age deals with rapid shift from the traditional way of doing things into technological way using ICT, It virtually promotes every aspect of human activities and media carrier is not an exception” Mr Ibrahim noted.

The Digital Literacy Advocacy Club is aimed at advocating for Digital literacy in Africa through sentisization, trainings and advocacies. It is an initiative of the TechMirror Magazine.