Book Review: “Entrepreneurship Journalism: Adeleke Collins” by Tunde Fajimbola
Introduction*
Book on Entrepreneurial journalism are many, but a book on entrepreneurship journalism is yet to be available, perhaps, anywhere in the world until the arrival of this unique in the academic and working environment.
When the book written by Kevin Rafter titled: “Entrepreneurial Journalism” was launched in 2018, the reviewer described it as a ‘hot topic’ for 21st century journalism, not just in the industry itself, but also in the academic community.
The reviewer described Rafter’s book as timely book that seeks to make sense of the dramatic transformation of journalism, with a specific focus on what entrepreneurialism means for the world of journalism. Because the collection analyses and discusses the future of journalism from the perspective of entrepreneurial culture drawing on relevant case studies from the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Canada, and the United States, it applauded as the best seller.
But I am standing before you today to review and present a book that has expanded the boundary of knowledge that Kelvin Rafter’s Entrepreneurial Journalism offered. This is the knowledge of the transformation of idea from entrepreneurial journalism to entrepreneurship journalism. It is the new insight that granted newness and uniqueness to this book that I am about to unveil.
*Problem Statement*
One of the most frequent questions of undergraduate students is: Why do I choose Journalism? What is the global competitiveness of Journalism?
I want to say that Journalism, just like a parcel of land, keep on appreciating in the age of information and communication technology, without us asking why?
By choosing journalism as a specialized field, innumerable benefits await the serious ones. Few students have painstakingly devoted their time and resources to discover the linkages between theory and practice of journalism. Even, when they wish to do so, there is no useful and authoritative material to guide them. Happily, the book that I am about to review here today, is closing a big gap in knowledge.
The author of this book has spent more than what we can ever imagine to absorb and transmit the depth of knowledge, extensive classical and modern information, creative writing, practical illustrations, about journalism in practical term. This book is connecting the concept of what “ought to be” in journalism with “what is” in actual journalism in contemporary world.
*Scope of the Book* *Review*
* Background of the Book
* Topical Issues and Themes of the Book
* Critical Assessment
* Take away Points
Presentation of the book
*Introduction*
To begin, the logic of this book is amazing, the graphic design of the cover page is impressive and the chaptalization is simply classic.
In the opening page, we can boldly see the Book title: “Entrepreneurship Journalism”. Something actually strikes my mind as I start to read the first page: Does Journalism has entrepreneurial value? Can a student become self-reliance after obtaining his or her degree/diploma in Journalism? This is what I seek to know in Entrepreneurship Journalism.
The high profile, social and political connections of the author is first exposed when I discovered the status and personality of who wrote the *‘Foreword’.* When a Special Adviser to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a Veteran Journalist of repute, Distinguished Senator, Babafemi Ojudu put his thought on paper and address the book, we know that the book has much to offer.
Topical Issues and Themes of the Book
The name of the author of the book titled: Entrepreneurship Journalism is Adeleke Collins Olagundoye. The book is made up of 736 pages of well-illustrated topical issues. In all, it is divided into five main sections, with elaborate sub-sections that can be described as very insightful.
*Section One* of the book detailed entrepreneurial aspect of Photography and Photo journalism. It recalls the history of journalism before giving us some fundamental tools of basic photography that extensively take all the features of camera and functions into account. This, of course include the practical application of the camera, and the adjustment of light to create different animating impressions, mood and emotion.
*Section Two* furthers knowledge on types of Lightening in Photography and provides perfect understanding on Cinematography in addition to other important aspects of cinematic techniques.
*Section Three* deals with the Multimedia and On-line Journalism, while topics on software, graphic navigations, interactivity, instructional design model, audio attributes and many other multimedia devices are not left out.
*Section Four* takes us to the creative world of Graphic Communication Process. Here, the reader is being exposed to some tips in use of shapes, visual texture, colour mixtures, water photo and software application, to name but few.
*The last Section* directs us to Advanced Journalism. Without micing words, this chapter helps committed students and other interested readers to become a ready-made for the job of journalism.
*Critical Assessment* *of the Book*
In my own objective assessment, there no doubting the fact that the author’s pedigree and background as an academia, a journalist, a publisher, a public relations guru, a political media aid, a public speaker, a prolific writer and a public analyst influenced, substantially, the input and output of the book.
The quality of the print, the aesthetic of the cover page, the clear readability of the front, the simple grammatical expression, the photographic insertions, the reader’s friendly layout and general impression of the voluminous book testified to the academic mindset of the author.
I believe that with this book in your personal library for reading, you are already being potentially empowered to become as productive as your counterpart in Europe, America, Asia, Middle East and other countries that are using the power of innovation, ICT and digitalization in journalism to make a difference on the global stage.
Students are very fortunate to have a book like this a guide. Parents are very privileged to have their children studying Mass Communication and its sub-field, Journalism. I wish to congratulate the Mass Communication community for the arrival of this book that is introducing practical to theory of Journalism.
The Take Away
Who is an entrepreneur? An entrepreneur is an individual who creates a new business, bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the rewards. The process of setting up a business is known as entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur is commonly seen as an innovator, a source of new ideas, goods, services, and business/or procedures.
Entrepreneurs play a key role in any economy, using the skills and initiative necessary to anticipate needs and bringing good new ideas to market. Entrepreneurship that proves to be successful in taking on the risks of creating a startup is rewarded with profits, fame, and continued growth opportunities. Entrepreneurship that fails results in losses and less prevalence in the markets for those involved.
You must be prepared to undertake the risk of starting a new business venture to qualify you as an entrepreneur.
An entrepreneur creates a firm to realize the idea, known as entrepreneurship, which aggregates capital and labor in order to produce goods or services for profit.
Entrepreneurship is highly risky but also can be highly rewarding, as it serves to generate economic wealth, growth, and innovation.
Entrepreneurial Journalism is a term that didn’t emerge until 2008 or so, but its usage has become common in the years since. Originally it was the title of a new degree program at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Journalism. The goal is to help create a sustainable future for quality journalism. It is believed that that the future will be shaped by entrepreneurs who develop new business models and innovative projects—either working on their own, with startups, or within traditional media companies.” In other words, entrepreneurial journalists not only take on the traditional journalistic roles of collecting, verifying, and distributing publicly relevant information, but they have an entire second job as well. (https://ebrary.net/90504/communication/what_entrepreneurial_journalism_this_silicon_valley_thing)
From Entrepreneurial journalism of Kelvin Rafter to Entrepreneurship Journalism of Collins Olagundoye, our take away today is centered on Olagundoye ushering us to a new frontier of knowledge in Journalism. As our teacher, we must consult his work to learn from him, follow the modern trends in journalism.
According to American Press Institute, Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. It is also the product of these activities.
The purpose of journalism is to provide people with verified information they can use to make better decisions, and its practices, the most important of which is a systematic process – a discipline of verification – those journalists use to find not just the facts, but also the “truth about the facts.”
The purpose of journalism,” write Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel in The Elements of Journalism, “is not defined by technology, nor by journalists or the techniques they employ.” Rather, “the principles and purpose of journalism are defined by something more basic: the function news plays in the lives of people.”
The journalist places the public good above all else and uses certain methods – the foundation of which is a discipline of verification – to gather and assess what he or she finds.
It is in the context of the values entrenched in practical, business oriented and innovative journalism that must have informed the written of this new book.
*Public Presentation of the book:*
Entrepreneurship Journalism,
Your Excellency, distinguished guests here present, awardees, eminent personalities here present, great Nigerian students, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, although there is no book, no matter how brilliant and succinct that is completely perfect, my advice to the author is to exploit the possibility of expanding the scope entrepreneurships in the next edition to cover other sub-fields of Mass Communication, including development communication, public relations and advertising.
I also want to enjoin the author to imprint his name on the cover page, below the Title in the next edition. This may be necessary to enable the readers to quickly grasp, ‘who’ is the author.
Finally, I want to say that the book merit if it is labelled as a Bible of Journalism.
On the strength of my assessment and recommendations, I wish to recommend the book:
Entrepreneurship Journalism – first, to the reading pleasure of the number one citizen of Ondo State, our amiable own Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and to his Deputy Ayedatiwa, the Speaker of the House of Assembly and all the Honourable members, the Chief Judge of Ondo State, to all the cabinet members, to all press officers and staff of the Ministry of Information at Federal, State and Local Governments, to all print and broadcast journalists, to the freelance writers, to all information attachés to Embassies, and to all students of Mass Communication across the world.
Specifically,
Entrepreneurship Journalism is a prestigious and precious student companion.
I hereby unveil it to the good people of Ondo state, to all Nigerians and the global community to serve as indispensable course material, for practical teaching in journalism in all higher institutions.
*ABOUT THE AUTHOR*
Adeleke Collins Olagundoye is the Provost, Centre for Media and Strategic Communication, an Institution with
academic and professional training for strategic media applications aimed at empowering individuals and corporate organizations
having expertise imbued with passion for socio-economic and political development.
He is the State Coordinator of both International Institute of Journalism(IIJ), an affiliate of University of Maiduguri, the training wing of Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ)
and Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Akure Study Centres, Ondo State, Nigeria.
He is the Editor of Eminent People Magazine, a platform powered by its foremost mandate to envision prospect quality that defines individual, institution or organization, and stimulate their most availing values to humanity and appreciate their developmental inspiration and Citizen Channel Newspapers,
a news commentary tabloid aimed at professionally analyzing issues of public concerns relative to the practicality of socio-economic implications.
He is a bundle of knowledge going by his arrays of academic qualifications which peaked at doctorate degree, a chartered public relations practitioner having acquired Post-Graduate Diplomas in Journalism (PGDJ) and Public Relations/Advertising(PGDAP), an astute scholar, a public analyst, a prolific writer, a bundle of knowledge going by his arrays of academic qualifications and self-styled political juggernaut committed to giving impacts in any sphere he finds himself.
A proven and charismatic grassroots political figure with diverse governance strategic skills, who has carved a niche for himself and has been an unbeatable asset to Ondo south senatorial district structure. An identity that earned him the membership of Media and Publicity Committee of Akeredolu Governorship Campaign in 2016 and in 2020, member, Communication Committee of Akeredolu-Aiyedatiwa Governorship Campaign Team.
His characteristic fervour in nation building and grassroots political development earnestly began at his State’s local Government administration which was a zeal birthed in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and University of Benin, Benin-City as a student unionist.
Married to his heart rob, Opeyemi, a Pharmacist and an Accountant by profession, blessed with amazing children.
