By Okechukwu Onuegbu

Stakeholders in the mass media, Thursday, charged students of Mass Communication and journalists to embrace the emerging opportunities in new media to prosper as professional journalists.

Speaking at town and gown series, a mentorship programme organised by the Department of Mass Communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe university, Awka in Partnership with a non governmental organization, Beyond Community Care Foundation, BCCF, the media gurus identified creativity and innovation as among skills needed to enhance diverse opportunities inherent in media convergence (new media).

The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Tony Onyema, a Former Managing Director of the Sun Newspapers and commissioner for Information, in Anambra State, adviced higher institutions to reflect on the emerging realities in the media ecosystem in preparation of students for the profession.

On his part, a guest lecturer, Mr Jika Attoh, who spoke on the theme of the event, "Exploring Emerging Opportunities In Media and Communication," added that content creation, copyright, blogging and editing were some lucrative areas students should leverage on even while still undergraduate.

Others including Barr. Valentine Obienyem, Emmanuel Agu, Monic Okechukwu, Callistus Ofonye, Tessy Igomu and Onyebuchi Nwadukwe, enjoined the younger generation to be skillful, creative, innovative, dogged, discipline, persevere and multitasking in order to excel in whatever field of endeavours they found selves.

The Head, department of Mass Communication, Prof Chinwe Uzochukwu, maintained that Town and Gown Series was aimed at bringing valuable interface between student in the classroom and industry.

On what prompted sponsorship of the event, founder, Beyond Community Care Foundation (BCCF), Chief Dennis Ezebuilo, who is Igwe-elect of Amanuke community in Awka North LGA, said it was geared towards galvanizing and training the students through mentorship to succeed after graduation and that the partnership would be sustained on a mutual basis.

Earlier, the vice chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Esimone, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof Joseph Ikechebelu, explained that the initiative was in line with the project 200 of the university, aimed at raising quality students to be beneficial to industries they would partner a graduation.