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Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The newspaper industry across the globe, no doubt, has felt the impact of technological advancements, especially via online media. The paradigm shift has changed the way in which people interact and communicate in the contemporary world. People want to communicate and interact in a quicker fashion. And they have been leveraging on the opportunities, which the digital platforms offer them.
Practising journalists must not also lag behind in harnessing and optimising the opportunities to reach out to large and heterogeneous audience. Mr. Tunde Busari, who was an Assistant Editor with African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, publishers of The Tribune titles, has tapped into the opportunities. Now, he is the publisher of The Tabloid.net, a human interest digital and conventional newspaper.
His words: “What informed my decision was the realisation that the time was up for me to bring the experience I have garnered over the years from Saturday Tribune, Sunday Punch, National Life, National Mirror, The Nation, Newswatch and Nigerian Tribune on the table with a view to contributing my quota to media development.
“The tabloid is a branch of media, which allows flexibility in news reportage. It thrives with human interest content, which makes a natural appeal to all classes of readers. When Weekend Concord came in 1989, it changed the face of weekend titles, such that others had to follow its style. Credit must be given to Mr. Mike Awoyinfa for his creative mind, which gave us that very interesting experiment.
“The Tabloid.net is out to refresh public memories with scintillating stories they would probably have forgotten. For instance, our first digital edition dug out a famous record released by the late Haruna Isola, the Apala maestro. The LP was his most successful in the market, with the title Oroki Social Club. We went after the surviving members of the club and dug out unreported details behind the LP.
“I took a painstaking study of the direction in which the media is moving, given the overwhelming influence of technology on the industry, I felt a pinch to register my presence in the new media space because the new space is the new reality of our industry. If one is serious with his career, one needs to rise and join the trend. Otherwise, one will be left behind to tell stories of the tortoise and its wife in the 21st Century.
“The Tabloid.net is not in competition but in consolidation of the progresså made in the industry. Under the sun, there seems to be nothing new again but we are going to continuously make efforts to dig out the old to become new for the reading pleasure of our followers without compromising ethics.”
Busari stated further that the first edition of the The Tabloid.net came in hard copy, which was published in September 2020. The digital edition, according to him, followed same month, and “we have received inspiring feedback from our readers.”
He noted that his new endeavour hasn’t been without some challenges, but asserted that challenges are a part of life. He said he would not be deterred by some factors, including issues with Internet services and cost of fuelling generators. He advised government to consider young businesses in some of its key decisions so that they could also grow.
“In the next five years, we hope to see The Tabloid.net in high places. Of course, it going to be a great task but we are aware of what it will take to meet this target. With God on our side, no mountain is insurmountable,” Busari said.
