The Association of Campus Journalists [ACJ], Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has expressed deep concern over the rising cases of content theft by certain individuals, bloggers, and unregistered newsrooms who publish our stories and reports without giving due credit to the association as the rightful owner.
As an organisation built on truth, integrity, and professionalism, we find this behaviour both disappointing and unacceptable. Such actions undermine the hard work and effort of our members, who invest quality time and energy in gathering facts, conducting interviews, and writing reports that reflect accuracy, balance, and fairness.
We wish to inform the public that every publication on our official website is the product of passion, teamwork, and meticulous editorial review. Before any story is published, it undergoes a rigorous process. From reporters who go into the field to collect information and write meaningful reports, to the Chairman, Guild of Editors, who review and edit chunks of reports carefully to ensure they agree with the ethics and standards of responsible journalism. This process is not only time-consuming but also demanding. However, this reflects our unwavering commitment to upholding the tenet of factual and truthful reporting.
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On this note, we wish to stress that it is unethical for anyone—be it individuals, bloggers, or unregistered newsrooms—to directly copy and republish our content, claiming ownership of our work without properly acknowledging ACJ as the source. Such actions are nothing more than intellectual theft and, as such, are strongly condemned.
Henceforth, any individual wishing to use any of our materials—story or report from ACJ—must, in that regard, give due credit and reference the association as the rightful source. Failure to comply with these directives will result in appropriate legal action.
The Association of Campus Journalists, OAU, remains steadfast in protecting its intellectual property and the efforts of its members. For decades, we have stood as a symbol of responsible journalism within the university community and beyond, and we will continue to defend the integrity of our work with all necessary measures.
We, therefore, call on those engaging in this act to desist immediately from doing so and uphold the values of honesty and professionalism that journalism demands. At ACJ, we stand for integrity, truth, and ethical reporting, and we will continue to assert the strength of our pen with pride and dignity.