By Leshi Adebayo
Award winning Nigerian journalist, Deji Badmus has reacted to Arise TV presenter, Reuben Abati’s derogatory comment on a correspondent who called him by his first name.
This comes about 24 hours after a live report on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Friday, when an Arise TV correspondent from Abuja, addressed the former presidential spokesperson by his first name while she was giving her report on the situation of Nigerians trapped in Ukraine.
Abati who could not hide his displeasure asked the young reporter if she was present at the naming.
He joked that she must really like his name and he promised to tell her how long he has been in the profession, and went on to call the reporter ‘mannerless’.
In reaction to Abati’s outburst, Deji Badmus shared a lengthy post on his Facebook page on Saturday where he berated the ex-presidential spokesperson for his conduct.
According to Badmus, calling journalists mannerless or derogatory names is forbidden, unethical.
He wrote, “So Reuben Abati was angry that a reporter called him by his first name on TV. What a shame! I think people like OGA Reuben with little or no background in broadcasting before now need to be schooled on the ethics and practice in broadcasting before they are put on TV as presenters.
“To refer to a reporter as mannerless because she called you by your first name on TV, when you were the presenter or studio anchor asking her questions, is so tactless and unprofessional. It simply shows Oga Reuben’s total ignorance of the ethics, convention, tradition etc of broadcasting.”
The journalist added, “If you want to be addressed as Oga, Chief or perhaps Dr, then pls stop presenting the show. I suppose he would also want the younger presenters on the show too to address him as Oga Reuben.
“Reuben Abati, if you read this, then know that referring to that reporter as mannerless because you think you’re too old to be called by your first name is so beneath you. You should apologize to her. And I hope she and others are not intimidated not to call you by your first name on air next time. If you don’t like it, then pls go behind the camera.”
Later in a second post titled, “My final word on the Reuben Abati vs Mary Chinda issue”, Badmus expressed in details major broadcasting tenets.
He suggested that a course in basic presentation should be made compulsory for any TV or Radio presenter.
The post read in part, “Presenter. If you asked me, a course in basic presentation should be made mandatory for anyone who wishes to become a presenter, whether on Radio or TV.”
“No matter how accomplished such persons maybe or how well they speak the English language, they should be made to compulsorily take a course in basic presentation. It will help to avoid the abuse we see on air these days.”
