City People Daily Celebrates 1st Anniversary

• As LAGOS CPS, GBOYEGA AKOSILE Commends City People

City People Magazine’s latest publication called City People Daily On Digital is one. And there has been a clinging of glasses at the Gbagada office of the media house.

City People Daily was given birth to about this time last year to fill a vacumm and catch up with the fast pace of events in the society.

Because of the frequency of events and the fact that the life span of stories is now barely 24 hours, the Management of City People decided to float a new publication which has been coming out on a daily basis, since last year.

To celebrate the 1st anniversary of the magazine, the Management of City People invited Mr. Gboyega Akosile, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu to talk about the way out for the Traditional Media at a challenging time like this when many publications have gone off the streets.

At the event, held inside the boardroom of City People Corporate Office at Gbagada, Akosile did justice to the topic. He began by congratulating City People Magazine for surviving all the turbulence the industry has faced in its 27 year history. City People Magazine will be 27 in November and it has remained vibrant both in print and online.

He gave us his own perspective about the issue, on how the trad. media can cope with the onslaught and challenges which the print media is currently facing from the social media today. “This didn’t just start today. About 15 years ago I knew a day like this will come and for people around me, I have always told them that soon enough, traditional media will begin to suffer from the onslaught that we are experiencing today. I remember I granted an interview with the Champion Newspaper about 12 years ago and this same question that you asked me came up and I said that look, if today’s traditional media do not adopt Technology, we are going to suffer in the future and I guess that is what is happening now.”

“The onslaught that we are having is not a bad thing in itself because as a result of Technology, it has become a major driver of newspapering and the media, generally today. That is why we can have everybody calling themselves  Journalists while someone like you, and I, who trained and went through the crucibles of Journalism, and various degrees of experience in  Journalism are not finding it rosy in the industry any longer.”

“Everybody, today, with an Android phone, or an iPhone will call himself or herself a journalist.

Why is that so? Because he has an enabler, that Technology. So, as long as he can write good English or bad English and he can get the story and he can post on either Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Tik-Tok or whatever platform, they consider themselves to be Journalists, unlike what we used to have back then, that the process of becoming a journalist was a bit streamlined and it was a tough one. And if you are not well baked, you cannot call yourself a journalist. So, today, I think that we don’t really need to cry about it. I think what City People is doing, is what we need to do. We need to adopt Technology. We need to be part of it for our future, so that is why I was excited when you said the digital version of City People has been out there and that you even have a daily edition of City People that is also on the Digital platform. I congratulate you for that.”

“At some point, years back, I used to wonder why City People was not competing on the social media. I think it took you a bit before you decided to play. At that time, City People was a big name. City People was a huge name.

But I am happy that today City People is waxing strong in the digital space. That is why I think that we cannot do but to embrace that digital space. We just have to embrace it otherwise we would be in the relics of history”.

What does he see as the solution to low patronage and the dwindling advertising inflow into the print media? “I agree that advertisement has dwindled over time. I know that one of the challenges for newspapering in Nigeria is poor funding, lack of patronage and of course lack of Technology (don’t mind me, I keep referring to Technology), but then all of those can still be circumvented, if I must say. People get a lot of advertisement online and I know today that as a Media relations manager for the Governor, and being a spokesman for the governor, I know that when I am doing my planning, I plan for the digital space. If I am doing any campaign, I am thinking in my head, how can I reach about 20 to 25 million Nigerians, especially when you  look at the demography, the youth. And I need to appeal to them, I need to talk to them.”

“I won’t go to the traditional newspaper. I will go to online newspapers, I will go to digital newspapers.”

“That way, newspapers will still get their revenue.

So the most important thing for me in that the newspapers should adopt Technology.”

“Yes, there are challenges with advertisement, but we can go round the issue of the challenges by ensuring that we play in the digital space.”

“If we have a seat at the table in the digital room, definitely when they are sharing the pie we would have our own share of it. That is how I look at it. Otherwise, nobody will come to us, because how many people buy newspapers off the vendors again? When you wake up all of the newspapers are sent to you online full edition, digital edition. You just look for stories that interest you and read. And after reading it, thats all. You still find newspapers in places like my office because of documentation, because we need to do hard-copy documentation. Just for that purpose alone. Before I get to the office, I have read all the things that concerns Lagos State and my principal.”

“I have read all the stories because they are online.”

“And when I get to the office and they give me newspaper cuttings of stories, I am not interested any more because I have read the stories I already know what is there.”

So, that is why it is very important for us to go back to the drawing board and ensure that we play in the digital space and which is what City People is doing and you are doing it very well.”

“City People back in the day, was the mouth piece for the socialites, the social animals in Nigeria, back then. I don’t see any reason why people should go to another platform. Now, you have City People Online for the same kinds of things they were giving us in the Print version. Once that is done, and it is done adequately well I believe that they will continue to patronise and the money will definitely come in.”

City People has also commended all those who over the last 12 months have ensured that City People Daily edition has been consistently consistent, like some Management members like Mr Lekan Odunowo, who was the first to suggest the idea at a Management meeting last year and Alhaji Wahab Bashir the Production & IT guru who has supervised the entire production process and has made it seamless. We also commend many of our other staff members who have contributed articles over time.

Also singled out for mention are Jemil Oki, Blessing Okolie, Shadiat Kazeem and Tunde Ogunnowo who have all made sure that City People Daily comes out everyday, and everyweek, all round the clock for the past 365 days.

Jemil Oki, highlighted the challenges that led to the magazine’s digital transition, citing rising costs as a major factor. He expressed how the production of City People Daily Magazine has been instrumental in enhancing his skills and knowledge, and he envisioned the digital magazine’s global reach.

Blessing Okolie, a hardworking Graphic staff member, recounted the Daily Magazine’s journey. She emphasized the dedication required to ensure daily publication and the joy that comes from receiving recognition and praise for their work.

The lecture delivered by Mr. Gboyega Akosile shed light on the changing landscape of Print media. He acknowledged the pivotal role Technology now plays in the newspaper industry. Mr. Akosile urged media houses not to view Technology as a hindrance but rather as an enabler. He emphasized that today’s generation sees many self-proclaimed journalists due to easy access to smartphones and online platforms. He applauded City People Magazine’s adaptation to technology, praising its continued relevance in an era dominated by online media.

Addressing the decline in Advertisement patronage for newspapers, Mr. Akosile acknowledged funding challenges and lack of technology as factors affecting the industry. However, he offered a solution by emphasizing the importance of embracing the digital space. He noted that he personally prioritizes digital platforms when planning campaigns to reach a younger audience. He pointed out that newspapers are now primarily utilized for documentation purposes, as online sources provide quick-time information.

Mr. Akosile reminisced about City People Magazine’s historical significance as a mouthpiece for socialites and questioned the need for other platforms to replicate its offerings. He expressed curiosity about the survival strategies of emerging newspaper organizations amid the industry’s challenges.

The lecture encapsulated the magazine’s journey, challenges, and its successful embrace of digital media, underlining the crucial role of technology in shaping the future of print media.

– Babatunde Promise