General News
Eagle Times newspaper will be voice for people, watchdog for nation – Publisher
The Managing Director and Publisher of Eagle Times Newspaper, Mr Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, says the new media organisation is established to serve as the voice for the people and watchdog for the nation.
Chukwunyere stated this on Thursday in Abuja during the official unveiling and launch of the newspaper.
He said the launch was not merely about adding another title to the news stands, but about presenting a media organisation with a clear responsibility, vision and commitment to journalism that serves public interest.
“Our guiding philosophy is captured in our slogan “The Voice for the People, The Watchdog For The Nation.”Those words carry a responsibility,” the publisher said.
According to him, to be a voice for the people means listening to Nigerians, telling their stories and giving visibility to issues affecting their daily lives.
According to him, being a watchdog means demanding accountability and scrutinising those entrusted with public responsibility.
Chukwunyere said the organisation would be guided by accuracy, fairness, professionalism, credibility and responsible journalism.
“We will not publish simply because a story is sensational. We will verify, we will investigate, we will seek the other side, we will correct our mistakes when we make them,” he said.
He stressed that the newspaper’s loyalty would not be to any political party, government or individual, but to truth and the Nigerian public.
The publisher noted that Eagle Times was being launched at a time of rapid change in media consumption, adding that it was being built as a multimedia organisation comprising newspaper, digital platforms and Eagle Times Television.
“We intend to combine traditional journalism with modern technology while preserving the fundamental values that make journalism credible,” he said.
Chukwunyere said the platform would create opportunities for young journalists, writers, photographers, producers and digital creators to contribute to national development.
He said coverage would span politics, governance, business, economy, security, judiciary, education, health, technology, sports, entertainment and international affairs.
He appreciated the management team, editors, reporters, production crew and digital team, as well as families, partners and colleagues in the media industry for their support.
“We are not entering this industry to compete through hostility. We are entering to contribute our own strength, our own voice and our own ideas to the growth of Nigerian journalism,” he said.
Chukwunyere assured readers, viewers and the digital audience that the organisation would strive to earn public trust, noting that success would not be measured onlyi by circulation or online traffic but by public confidence in its journalism.
“Today we spread our wings. Today, The Eagle Times takes flight,” he said.
In a keynote address titled “Soaring Above the Noise: The Eagle, the Press and the Courage to Speak Truth to Power”, Mr Ayodeji Rex Abitogun, an IT expert charged the newspaper to rise above misinformation and uphold credible journalism.
Abitogun, who is a member, Chartered Institite of Directors of Nigeria described the Oct. 1 launch date as symbolic.
He said journalism in the age of Artificial Intelligence must compete on trust, not just speed, adding that credibility had become the journalist’s greatest currency.
“The true test of journalism comes when facts are inconvenient to powerful interests.
“The journalist’s first loyalty must be to truth, accuracy, fairness and the public interest,” he said,
He urged the paper to be independent without being irresponsible.
He cautioned that freedom of expression must not become a licence for defamation or ethnic incitement, and advised the new medium to invest in investigative reporting, data journalism and fact-checking.
“There is a reason the eagle has fascinated civilisations for generations, it is associated with vision, courage, strength, and the ability to rise above its environment,” Abitogun said.
According to him, journalism must go beyond reporting events to investigating the why, who and what of issues affecting society, describing it as “eagle-eyed journalism.”
Speaking on responsibility of speaking truth to power, he said the true test of journalism is when facts become inconvenient to powerful interests, whether political, economic, corporate or religious.
“Speaking truth to power does not mean opposing everything government does, when government succeeds, report it. When they fail, report it.
“The journalist’s first loyalty must be to truth, accuracy, fairness and the public interest,” he said.