The doyen of community journalism in Nigeria, Chief Monzor Kolawole Dawodu Olowosago has capped his legacies with a new book titled, “Practical Community Newspaper Reporting and Production.” The new book was a longtime yearning for the publisher of Oriwu Sun to present a practical guide for the coming generations of interested community publishers to use as a blueprint.
After years of careful work and consultations, Chief Monzor Olowosago finally completed the book and set to launch to the general public on February 2, 2023.
Monzor Olowosago has once again set another record after being the first publisher to establish Nigeria’s first authentic community newspaper, to becoming the first publisher to have sustained a community newspaper in the country for almost four decades (38), and now the first community newspaper publisher to give the country a practical textbook on community journalism.
Chief Monzor Kolawole Dawodu Olowosago is widely known for his propensity for quality and excellence, as his newspaper, Oriwu Sun is not only the first but also the best in terms of quality production and the most successful community newspaper in Nigeria.
His hallmark of excellence is once again seen in the new book he published as he worked with experienced and fine eggheads to ensure a high quality textbook. Ramson Acheme, a PhD candidate who made first class in the field of Mass Communication, and has been researching community media for over three years now, edited the book, Practical Community Newspaper Reporting and Production. The book was reviewed and foreword by renowned and awarding winning professor of Journalism, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye of the University of Lagos, while the proofreading was done by a veteran Guardian journalist.
The 145 page text book contains a ten-chapter content which started with meaning and concept of community journalism in chapter one; techniques of community journalism in chapter two; structure of community newspaper in chapter three; strategies for circulating community newspaper in chapter four; and how to start community newspaper in chapter five.
The chapters six, seven, eight, nine and ten cover areas of community journalism other than newspaper. Chapter six explores the concept of development communication and the justification for community journalism in a society; chapter seven examined the related communication theories of development communication; chapter eight x-rayed community broadcasting; chapter nine took, a critical look at community journalism in the digital era, while chapter ten discussed the future of community journalism in our society.
Practical Community Newspaper Reporting And Production was printed at the Lagos State Printing Corporation, Oregun, in brown paper with all-coloured photographs. The choice of the paper was to ensure safe reading in the case of harmful excessive sunrays.
In the book, Chief Monzor Olowosago took a critical approach in detailing how a typical community newspaper house operates and he gave vital exclusive information on survival techniques for local and intended publisher in the trade.
The unique circulation, advert and marketing of community newspaper nature require pragmatic approaches to running a successful local newspaper, using his more than thirty eight years experience running Oriwu Sun, Chief Moznor provides answers and gives practical tips on how to survive the tides.
While the book is ready for official launching on February 2, 2023, the publisher and author is encouraging concerned stakeholders to get copies. As part of his promotional efforts, Chief Monzor had visited top professors of journalism and communication at the Lagos State University and is making contact with many other scholars to answer questions they would want to raise.
The book holds many advantages over conventional textbooks circulating our academic systems, as Practical community Newspaper Reporting and Production is a book useful to many people, both in and outside the academic circle. It is a teaching textbook for lecturers who would conveniently use it as a study and instructional material for their students.
Media Practitioners will also benefit from the book as it contains firsthand experience in this genre of journalism. Media entrepreneurs who are considering starting community newspaper would find the book a rich document for their business.
The book is a blue print for community newspaper production as it is the first book coming from a field expert who has made name and fortunes for himself through community media and laid the framework for community Journalism in Nigeria.