By JKNewsMedia
SEASONED JOURNALIST, Dr Friday Olokor opens up on his newsroom battles, arrests, the collapse of print journalism, and the quiet reinvention that took him from The PUNCH to Arise News TV.
PRINT JOURNALISM is fading, but for Dr Friday Olokor, the story is not just about an industry in decline, it is about survival, he told http://nigeriastandardnewspaper.com.
He recounts that over the years, he has been picked up by security agents, questioned, and at times dragged away while doing his job. Yet, he keeps reporting.
“I have been detained, harassed, and dragged away,” he says quietly, as if recalling just another day at work.
“So, I am not new to pressure. I have spent decades in Nigeria’s newsrooms, moving from one beat to another – politics, crime, judiciary, religion, name it, just wherever the story leads. There is hardly any part of the country’s news landscape I have not covered,” he also said.
“I have seen all and done all,” he reiterates.
A Reporter Shaped by Struggle
His journey into journalism started early. As a secondary school student in Delta State, he said he became fascinated with the way his Literature teacher spoke English while teaching Gulliver’s Travels. The teacher, he later discovered, was a journalist.
That moment stayed with him.
From then on, it was journalism or nothing.
At the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, he began writing articles on national issues, including the June 12 struggle. Those writings earned him recognition and eventually opened doors into major Nigerian newsrooms – without formal job applications.
“I was already writing. The jobs came from there,” he explains.
The Making of a Newsroom Force
Over time, he built a name for himself across several publications, including The PUNCH, where he spent 15 years. It was there that he became widely known for breaking major stories.
One of such moments came on Christmas Day in 2011, when a bomb exploded at St Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla.
While others were still gathering information, Olokor was already filing reports.
“For two weeks, my stories were leading,” he recalls. “It was ‘Stories and Pictures by Friday Olokor.’”
But beyond the headlines, the work has come at a cost.
He speaks about the growing pressure on journalists in Nigeria – from government agencies, online harassment, and even within the profession itself.
According to him, the Cybercrimes Act is increasingly being used against journalists, while social media has created a space where misinformation spreads easily.
“Truth is no longer the priority for many people,” he says. “That is dangerous.”
He is also worried about the state of the media industry.
“Print journalism is gone,” he says plainly.
Rising costs, falling sales, and reduced advertising have made it difficult for newspapers to survive. At the same time, many journalists struggle with poor pay and little welfare.
“All of this affects the quality of reporting,” he adds.
In 2023, after years at The PUNCH, he made a difficult decision to leave. There was no clear plan at first, but he trusted the process.
Soon after, a conversation with media entrepreneur Nduka Obaigbena changed things. Within days, he was offered a role at Arise News TV.
“It happened very fast,” he says. “And I have no regrets.”
Now working in broadcast journalism, he admits the transition was not easy, but he adapted quickly.
“Television is different, but the foundation is the same – you must get the story right.”
Despite everything he has faced, Olokor remains grounded. He speaks often about faith, discipline, and personal choices.
“I don’t compete with anyone,” he says. “I just focus on my path.”
Looking ahead, he does not rule out public service.
“If the conditions are right, I will accept,” he says, though he admits he has heard difficult stories from colleagues who have gone into politics.
For now, he remains what he has always been – a reporter.
Still watching.
Still writing.
Still telling stories.
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