After reading my intervention on last week’s incident on Arise Morning Show, a friend, who is one of the leaders of public relations practice in Nigeria sent me a message.
“What’s your professional view about Rufai Oseni?” They had asked. I replied as follows: “I think he’s bright, patriotic, and objective. But he gets too emotional and descends into the arena, sometimes doing more than a journalist should do.”
My friend, who said they had known Mr Oseni personally for years, responded, “Really? He lacks every trait of a professional journalist!” They went further to suggest that the television anchor required training and so on.
I said nothing further for two reasons. One, I do not disagree that Mr Oseni, and any other professional, for that matter, requires continuous training and retraining. Didn’t someone say that the education of a man is never completed until he dies? In addition, I concluded that I would share my opinion on this issue in an article.
I’ll be upfront by admitting that while many Nigerians say Rufai Oseni is biased, I do not think so. I understand that many people, especially those on the receiving end of his sometimes vigorous and relentless “interrogation” of issues and people, judge the Arise Morning Show anchor as partisan, arrogant, and unprofessional. But I do not see it that way. And I say that as someone who follows the show with passion.
