Three of Nigeria’s leading authorities in journalism, public relations and reputation management have identified poor strategic communication and inadequate reputation management by government spokespersons as major factors responsible for the widening trust deficit between government and the Nigerian public.
The communication experts—veteran journalist and former Managing Director of The Guardian, Mr. Martins Oloja; President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku; and renowned public relations strategist, Dr. Eddy Ademosu—shared the position at the 45th edition of Boiling Point Arena, a monthly public affairs discourse on Sunday night.
The engaging discourse, themed: “Journalism Is Not Public Relations: Why Many Succesful Journalists are Misfits For Reputational Management Role”, was hosted by a veteran broadcaster and public relations strategist, Dr Ayo Arowojolu.
The once-in-a-month
programme was transmitted via Zoom and broadcast live on multiple partner radio stations across Lagos, Ogun and Delta States.
Although approaching the subject from different professional perspectives, the three speakers reached a common conclusion that effective governance communication requires much more than media visibility.
Rather, they argued, it demands specialised expertise in reputation management, stakeholder engagement, strategic communication and trust-building.
Opening the discourse, Martins Oloja challenged the widespread assumption that accomplished journalists naturally make successful public relations practitioners.
According to him, one of Nigeria’s greatest communication misconceptions is the belief that newsroom excellence automatically translates into competence in reputation management.
“It is a very interesting topic, but we hardly discuss it in our system. People simply move into public relations, yet we continue to see the consequences of not understanding that journalism is not public relations,” he observed.
Oloja said many former journalists serving as government spokespersons continue to attract public criticism because they often approach public relations with the mindset of investigative journalism instead of strategic reputation management.
Drawing from his participation at the 2010 convention of the National Association of Black Journalists in San Diego, United States, he recalled that journalists intending to migrate into public relations were advised to undergo specialised professional training because the transition is neither automatic nor merely a change of employer.
“You cannot use the mindset of newsroom management to manage public relations in government or in a corporate organisation. If you have been a successful investigative reporter, chances are you have damaged someone’s reputation through your reporting.
Suddenly, you are asked to protect and manage institutional reputation. How do you begin without retraining?” he asked.
The veteran journalist applauded the National Universities Commission’s decision to unbundle Mass Communication into distinct professional disciplines, saying the reform would help clarify the differences between journalism, broadcasting, public relations and other communication specialisations.
“There is no convergence at all. We diverge,” he declared.
Complementing Oloja’s position, NIPR President Dr. Ike Neliaku argued that Nigeria’s historical experiences with colonialism, military rule and pro-democracy struggles naturally produced journalists with activist instincts.
While describing journalism as indispensable to democracy, he warned that activism becomes counterproductive when transferred into public relations practice.
“Some of our journalists are activists. Given the background of where we are coming from, journalists have always been at the vanguard. But public relations is different.
“A public relations practitioner is a solution provider. To provide solutions, you must understand the operating environment. Public relations is not conducted in an atmosphere of war.”
Neliaku criticised situations where government communication officials engage in needless confrontations with editors and media organisations, warning that such hostility often worsens public perception instead of strengthening institutional credibility.
“When you are busy attacking an editor because of what has been published, you forget that you still need that editor. Instead of providing solutions for your principal, you are pouring fuel on the fire.”
The NIPR President also unveiled what he described as Nigeria’s indigenous definition of public relations, developed by the Institute in 2025.
According to him, public relations is “a strategic leadership role that builds trust, builds reputation, builds lasting relationships and drives inclusive development through ethical, transparent and culturally respectful communication.”
He stressed that trust remains the currency of public relations.
“A public relations person is a dealer in trust, just as Napoleon Bonaparte said a leader is a dealer in hope.”
Neliaku further described journalism and public relations as “cousins, not enemies,” explaining that while journalists primarily inform the public, public relations practitioners develop communication strategies, manage stakeholder relationships and protect institutional reputation.
Employing a vivid analogy, he said the public relations professional “cooks the food” by designing communication strategy, while the journalist “serves the food” by disseminating information to the public.
Also speaking, Dr. Eddy Ademosu maintained that public relations should never be reduced to propaganda or blind defence of government actions.
According to him, reputation management thrives on trust, credibility, honesty and fairness.
“Public relations is not child’s play. It thrives on trust, credibility, honesty and fairness because practitioners constantly relate with stakeholders,” he said.
Referring to recent controversies over official government claims, Ademosu argued that many communication failures could have been avoided through proper stakeholder consultation and professional reputation management.
“You do not compromise in public relations because, in the long run, the truth will always come to the surface,” he warned.
He insisted that public relations advisers must possess the courage to tell political leaders uncomfortable truths whenever necessary, stressing that communication professionals owe a duty not only to their principals but also to the wider public.
“The public relations practitioner should be able to speak up for the sake of stakeholders, particularly the public,” he said.
Ademosu also called for stronger institutional communication structures in government, recommending multidisciplinary teams comprising specialists in public relations, media management, strategic communication and research, similar to what operates in many advanced democracies.
Throughout the two-hour discourse, chaired by the Olota of Ota, Oba Prof Adeyemi Obalanlege, the panel repeatedly emphasised that journalism and public relations are complementary but fundamentally different professions requiring different competencies, ethical obligations and professional orientations.
The experts agreed that while journalism primarily serves the public interest through truth-telling, accountability and information dissemination, public relations focuses on building trust, managing reputation, nurturing relationships and providing strategic communication solutions.
The consensus of the discussants was that governments seeking greater public acceptance of their policies must move beyond media publicity and embrace professional reputation management anchored on transparency, competence, ethical communication and sustained stakeholder engagement.
For many participants, the discourse offered a compelling explanation for why even well-intentioned government policies often struggle to gain public acceptance—not necessarily because of the policies themselves, but because of ineffective communication strategies and the absence of professional reputation management.