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Zare Baba Urges Adamawa First Lady’s Press Crew to Embrace Strategic Communication
move beyond routine reporting and embrace strategic, ethical and impact-driven media communication
Zare Baba Urges Adamawa First Lady’s Press Crew to Embrace Strategic Communication

The Vice President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Zone E, Zare Baba, has urged the press crew of the Wife of the Executive Governor of Adamawa State to move beyond routine reporting and embrace strategic, ethical and impact-driven media communication.
Baba made the call while delivering a paper titled “Enhancing Professionalism, Excellence and Effective Media Communication” during an in-house media training for the press crew on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at Livak Hotel, Karewa GRA, Jimeta-Yola.

He said modern government media personnel must not only report activities but also provide context, explain their significance and communicate the impact of government programmes and interventions to the public.
Baba described the press team as the “eyes, ears, pen, camera, voice and shield” of the office, stressing that professionalism should be reflected in accuracy, integrity, confidentiality, punctuality, preparedness, respect and discipline.
He emphasized the importance of verification and ethical journalism, warning against fabrication, misrepresentation, plagiarism and the publication of unverified information, noting that credibility remains the most valuable asset of any press team.

The NUJ Vice President also advocated a structured workflow for media operations, from observing and verifying information to capturing, writing, editing, approving, publishing, monitoring and archiving content.
On social media, Baba urged the press crew to understand the distinct communication demands of platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp, while using human-interest stories to complement statistics and official information.

He further highlighted the need for effective crisis communication, advising media personnel to avoid speculation, emotional responses and online confrontation, while prioritising facts, consultation, professionalism and timely correction of misinformation.
The training also addressed team coordination, photography, videography, headline writing, press releases and practical exercises designed to strengthen the crew’s professional capacity.

Baba challenged the press team to measure success not by “how much we published,” but by the difference their communication makes in informing, engaging and connecting with the people.
He concluded with a call for a shift from routine reporting to professional storytelling, publicity to strategic communication, activity to impact, and individual effort to team excellence.

