By Precious Adebayo
In the world of broadcast journalism, Aanuoluwapo Omorinde stands out as a seasoned voice. As the Head of Operations at IBR 92.5FM Ibadan, Oyo State and a dedicated journalist, he has carved a niche for himself in the industry, using the airwaves to educate, inform, and challenge societal norms.
In this exclusive interview with Primus Blog, conducted by Precious Adebayo, Omorinde opens up about his journey into journalism, the challenges of holding leaders accountable, and his passion for fostering an informed society. From his early aspirations in law to his deep dive into media, he shares insights on what makes a great broadcaster, the evolving landscape of Nigerian radio, and the role of indigenous programming in preserving culture.
Join us as we delve into the mind of a journalist who believes that impact is greater than popularity, and who continues to inspire the next generation of broadcasters with his unwavering commitment to truth and professionalism.
Can we meet you?
I am Aanuoluwapo Omorinde. I am the Head of Operations at IBR 92.5fm Ibadan. I am a broadcast Journalist who specializes in politics and governance. I am a Consort (not royal) with fruits.
What inspired you to pursue a career in broadcasting and how has the journey been so far?
I had an educational stint in law but basically, the inadequacies in governance in Nigeria fuelled the passion in me to pursue a career in journalism. I have always wondered whether some narratives are peculiar to my fatherland or they are global phenomenon. Research has however shown me that many of the problems confronting Nigeria as a country are deeply rooted in ignorance and greed.
My dream is to leave a print in the sand of time and see how many people can be emancipated from the shackles of ignorance. I am passionate about having an egalitarian society where people can make informed decisions. Many things including the thought pattern of Nigerians are negatively influenced. The psyche of the people has been battered and they have been programmed to be Iconoclasts.
It has been tough though but God has been faithful. I must confess that it is quite challenging.
What do you enjoy most about being a broadcaster?
The opportunity to serve humanity. That is it!
What qualities do you think make a great broadcaster, and how do you cultivate these qualities in yourself?
A great broadcaster must be able to connect with his audience. He must be reachable. I see many broadcasters get it wrong here. Connecting with your audience is totally different from clout chasing. I see many people in the industry today doing unnecessary things all in a bid to connect with their audience. A great broadcaster must be reserved. Many today want to comment on all issues especially on the social media, no! Sell a personality to the people and let them know you for it. You should be unique.
A great broadcaster must be mysterious and dynamic. The mystery in you stirs the thirst in your audience.
You must speak the language of your audience. There is no need using big vocabularies that the audience cannot relate with. I see indigenous broadcasters today code-mix switching from indigenous languages to english. It is a park of arrant nonsense. It is nothing but inferiority complex at its peak. Some English Presenters are guilty of this too. The synopsis of each programme should state the language of presentation. You must stay true to it.
Each edition or episode of your programme should solve a problem. Your audience must look forward to hearing from you at all times. They should see any of your programme missed as a missed opportunity. Yes, it should get to that extent. However, a great broadcaster should not see himself/herself as a superior being. Never should you insult the intelligence of your audience. You must however be on top of your game at all times as a broadcaster. You should be knowledgeable. I tell my Students that a Journalist is someone who knows something about everything. If all you know as a broadcaster is what your audience knows, you will not earn their respect. The place of integrity cannot also be over-emphasized. It is good to be misunderstood but do not make the mistake of keeping a dual personality. In this regard, I am not against versatility.
A great broadcaster gives his audience reasons to look up to him or her but he/she must not be unmindful of the fact that many people are more knowledgeable than him/her.
A great broadcaster must pay attention to details. You must read and consult wide. Each edition of your programme should have a script. It is the reason many broadcasters look and appear uncoordinated on air. You must sound and look fresh at all times. Broadcast journalism is not for the lazy bones. It requires a lot of efforts. Rise and Shine takes a lot from me. I mean a lot. Imagine running a programme from 6:15-7:30am daily except on Sundays. I wake up daily 3:00am. My house is far from my office hence, coming to work daily for me is like travelling down and yet, with the help of God, I have never failed.
Ability to adapt to changes defines a great broadcaster. As the saying goes, the only thing that is constant in life is change so, one must be ready to swing when the need arises.
A great broadcaster must uphold the ethics of journalism profession.
What challenges have you faced in the broadcasting industry, and how did you overcome them?
For anyone who wants to grow, challenges are inevitable. Challenges reveal our weaknesses and strengths.
I once worked in a broadcast outfit where I was owed fourteen months salary. That money is yet to be paid till date. It was indeed a tough moment for me. It is better imagined than experienced.
Also, time management poses a threat at times. First, because of my schedule, I am an early crawler. I study mostly in the night and it has become a routine. There are times I even keep vigils. Someone once asked me if I rest at all. Yes I do. I try to strike a balance knowing fully well that work will not end should anything happen to me. It is quite challenging but here we are. To God be the glory.
Allegations of partisanship from the audience is no doubt the greatest of them all. Imagine you doing your job with all honesty only for a partisan-minded person to accuse you of taking sides. I don’t even know what the money of these Politicians that they accuse me of taking sides with smell like talk less of having anything to do with them yet, some will allege you are serving certain interests. During electioneering or on a good day, they say political Journalists make a fortune but I concentrate on my work and do my job wholeheartedly but you will end up being told you are foolish. It is quite challenging. I however overlook all of these and move on.
The stress of getting guests for interviews is huge too. My programmes focus on politics, government policies, governance, current affairs and others hence, the need to have newsmakers and corporate personalities on my shows but regrettably, many of these figures do not want to be held accountable.
Insecurity is another factor too. There are times you get subtle threats. In few months, it will be a year my car was stolen right in front of my office. It happened when the General Gas/Iyana-Church road was being rehabilitated. The construction work at that time prevented me from driving into my Station’s premises and the car was stolen. Till date, the car has not been recovered.
If you could interview any personality, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Sincerely, I would like to interview Donald Trump, President of the United States of America. I once nursed the ambition of covering the US Presidential election in year 2020 though it did not work out. There is something unusual about Trump. That which makes him thick, I would like to unravel it, though, judging by his previous media engagements, he is a hard nut to crack.
Ibadan is rich in culture and history. How do we incorporate the local flavour into radio content?
It is difficult to succeed in radio business around here without respect for the Ibadan culture and traditions. Respect for Ibadan culture starts from promoting the yoruba language.
Indigenous Presenters have a great role to play in this regard. I wish to hear more of programmes being presented in Yoruba language using the Ibadan dialect.
Media proprietors especially the ones from Ibadan must mandate their management to design programmes that will promote this rich culture.
Ibadan clubs, unions and the government must help with sponsorship too. Radio business should go beyond the popular “we are enjoying you” accolades in Ibadan. There must be a deliberate attempt to support and help this business thrive especially now that there are many radio stations in the state.
What advice would you give to young people aspiring to become broadcasters, especially in Nigeria?
They must understand that journalism is not an end in itself but a means to an end. You want to get rich over night, do not think of journalism. However, you can build bridges with journalism. That may be more than money.
Mentorship is very important and so, they should get a mentor on the job.
Noise does not equate impact. They need to understand that popularity is not same as impact.
Getting a second address may not be a bad idea.
They should avoid sensationalism and uphold professionalism.
It is important they know their audience. With this, they will never at any time see themselves as inferior to others. Let me give you an example- the social media buzz around a sports or entertainment Presenter is likely to be more than that around a political Presenter. Nowadays, many youths make money from sports in different form and as such, it is an industry whose activities they must follow. Because of “betting”, they are always in search of “update”. That naturally will make a sports Presenter get some followership.
That explains the reason why in Ibadan today, sports is highly followed. In the case of entertainment, the make-believe nature of that industry makes it attractive to the youths. On the contrary, a political Presenter will not have such followership among the youths because not many of them are interested in the politics and history of why their fatherland is what it is. To some of them, it is even boring and who are those on the social media, majorly it is the youths. Let me narrow it down.
As a Journalist, I specialize in politics and governance. A greater percentage of my audience are 40 years and above. That does not mean those below that age range do not follow me but I know my audience. Many of them are not on the social media though, I have succeeded in bringing some of them there. The ones that are there, will not come on Primus Media page to make any comment about Aanuoluwapo Omorinde. Does that mean I am a pushover in the industry? I do not think so. This dynamics they must understand to avoid frustration. In this industry, you can be thick and yet, unassuming.
Also, they must understand that people tune-in to listen to good content nowadays. That speaks to the need for them to be harworking. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that – if a man knows how to preach a better sermon than his contemporaries, even if he builds his house among the woods, people will make a beating path there. The proliferation of radio stations has exposed the people to good and great content. The era of killing oneself to work in the first best five or best ten radio stations is over. I must however posit that it is good for spectacle. A radio station may be well rated on the log but may not be among the best. For commercial purposes, there are a lot of manipulations going on in the industry.
I think it is important we get feedback on the street most times rather than what the social media says. Trust me, the people are wiser now. Some people in Ibadan today, have time-table of what to listen to per time and their menu cuts across different radio stations.
I think what is important for anyone who wants to build a career in this industry is to first develop a philosophy and then, pursue it in a station that shares the same value with you.
I cannot but thank you Primus Media for finding me worthy to be interviewed. If there is any question I wish to ask, it is why did you choose me for this interview. Thank you once again.