Media Scholars and Professionals Assemble in Port-Harcourt to Assess Media Role in Governance as ACSPN launches book on media and artificial intelligence.
Oru Leonard
Hundreds of media scholars and professionals will from tomorrow in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State capital again re-examine the role of the media and citizens in promoting accountability and peaceful society.
According to the Public Relations Officer of ACSPN, Mr Lanre Arogundade, the annual conference and general meeting of ACSPN will be taking place on Wednesday September 1 and Thursday September 2, 2021 at the Rivers State University, Port-Harcourt with the theme: ‘Media and Citizens Participation in Governance for Accountability and Peace in the Society’.
Dr. Jossy Nkwocha (FNIPR) , Group Head Corporate Communications of Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals and Fertilizer Ltd, will in line with the theme, deliver the keynote address on ‘The Role of the Media in Accountable Government and Peace in the Society on the first day.
There will also be a special panel session on: The Media are not dead? Are the Canons Shifting’ at which the main speaker will be Dr. Lasisi Olagunju, the Editor of Saturday Tribune while the lead discussant is Dr. Chido Onumah, Coordinator African Centre for Media and Information Literacy and Vice President North Central of ACSPN. The other panelists include Pastor Paulinus Niram, Commissioner for Information and Communication, Rivers State, Dr. Edith Ohaja of the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Dr. Ahmad Shehu, American University of Nigeria, Yola.
A major highlight of the first day of the conference is the public launch of ACSPN’s ground breaking book: ‘Knowledge Societies – Artificial Intelligence and the Media’. Other ACSPN latest publications will also be presented.
The Special Guest of Honour and Chief Host, His Excellency Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; the host, Prof. Nlerum Sunday Okogbule, Vice-Chancellor of Rivers State University; the President of ACSPN and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, Prof. Umaru Pate and the Vice-President of ACSPN for the South-South, Dr. Majority Oji, will all speak at the opening ceremony. There will also be goodwill messages from the Nigeria Press Council, the Nigeria Television Authority South-South Zonal Office and the Mass Communication Department of Rivers State University, among others.
According to the details of the programme ( https://www.acspn.com.ng/ annual-conference-2021-media-citizens-participation-in-governance-for-accountability-peace-in-the-society/) released by the General Secretary of ACSPN and Vice-Chancellor of Caleb University, Prof. Nose Owens-Ibie, there will be syndicate sessions at which papers will be presented and discussions held on wide-range of issues including but not limited to media, communication, women, information technology, public relations, artificial intelligence, social media, governance and peace building.
