Digital Media Is Not Choreography, It Must Be Respected in Africa

 

By Abioye Tosin Lawrence

Digital media is not choreography; it is a serious craft that demands recognition, respect, and professionalism across Nigeria and Africa.

During the 2024 Media Week, I told colleagues that they are among the best in Africa, and few countries on the continent can match their capacity, depth, and dedication.

We are not in competition with anyone. What we bring to the table is training, experience, and discipline, the tools necessary to shape conversations and influence the world as it evolves. Today, power changes hands on social media, signaling that digital platforms have moved far beyond noise. They now shape governance, public opinion, and accountability.

Our message to leaders is clear: while we respect the ongoing efforts to build this country, digital media professionals are active participants in the national conversation. We must not be silenced, intimidated, or dismissed.

Many of us graduated without waiting for employment. We chose to build deliberately, slowly, sustainably. We started when stories were circulated with pleas for publication, as if digital media were a game. It is not. Building a media brand from scratch and staying relevant for six to ten years is no accident; it requires vision, consistency, ethical judgment, and sacrifice.

Most of us began with nothing, no grants, no institutional support, no shortcuts. Yet here we are, still standing. If poverty is to be eradicated through skills, society must respect professionals who invest in fact-based reporting, funding, and credibility, rather than reward content creators who spread misinformation and tarnish the nation’s reputation.

Digital media is power. And power demands responsibility, structure, and respect.