By Ogunleye Kolapo Olayemi
The Political Science Press Organisation (POSSPRESS) on Sunday, 22 February, held a two-in-one virtual orientation and seminar for its new and returning members.
The orientation session, targeted at new members, was organised to educate participants on the ethics and operational standards of POSSPRESS and campus journalism in general. The session was facilitated by Miss Adekola Rihanat, the immediate past Editor-in-Chief of POSSPRESS and a first-class graduate of Political Science.
Speaking extensively on press ethics, Miss Adekola admonished members to uphold integrity and remain true to the core values of journalism despite external pressures.
In her words, “You are going to face a lot of challenges as a press person. Some of your friends vying for political positions may even see you as their enemy, but this is normal. You must still stay true to your principles.” She further encouraged members to remain committed and consistent in their duties.
The second segment of the programme was a seminar titled “Using AI Responsibly in Campus Journalism.” The seminar was delivered by Habeeb Olalehen, a former Editor-in-Chief of POSSPRESS and a writer with TechCabal.
Habeeb explained that artificial intelligence tools are designed to aid journalists and improve efficiency, but warned against excessive dependence on them, noting that such practices contravene journalistic ethics. He outlined several dos and don’ts regarding the responsible use of AI in journalism.
According to him, AI tools can be useful for transcription, conceptual illustrations, editing, and research, particularly for understanding professional jargon. However, he cautioned against prompting AI to write full articles, using it as a fact-checking tool, cleaning quotes, or relying on it as a primary search engine, emphasizing that AI-generated information can be misleading.
The event concluded with closing remarks from the Editor-in-Chief of POSSPRESS, Ogunleye Kolapo, who urged members to remain active, disciplined, and committed to the ideals and objectives of the organisation.
