By: BABS DARAMOLA

I watched in disbelief today as one of Nigeria’s top national TV stations used AI to voice a news report. Let me be clear: AI has its place in journalism. It can help gather data, fact-check, and streamline production. But reading the news? Delivering it to the public? That’s a strp too far. Presentation must remain human work.

Broadcast journalism is more than a recitation of facts; it is a craft built on experience, judgment, and empathy. Great stations pride themselves on the caliber of their reporters; their pedigree, their training, and their ability to probe beyond the script. These are professionals who have spent years in the field, enduring challenges, asking the hard questions, and ensuring that the public receives information that is accurate, contextualized, and ethically presented. AI can never replicate this.

The danger of using AI to replace human reporters is not hypothetical; it is immediate and tangible. Machines lack intuition, moral judgment, and the ability to read between the lines. They cannot adjust tone to convey urgency, nuance, or empathy. They cannot interview sources in ways that build trust, challenge authority, or uncover truths hidden beneath layers of bureaucracy. They cannot, in short, report with the credibility and humanity that audiences deserve.

Globally, respected outlets -BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters- have integrated AI as a supporting tool, never as a replacement for journalists. These organizations recognize that technology can enhance reporting but cannot supplant it. Audiences respond to human storytellers because humans bring context, understanding, and accountability. Replacing journalists with algorithms risks turning news into sterile, impersonal content, and diminishes public trust at a time when credible information is most needed.

There is also a deeper concern for the next generation of journalists. Broadcast journalism curricula are carefully designed to teach ethics, storytelling, and professional judgment. By sidelining practitioners in favor of AI, media organizations risk creating a generation of journalists for whom the craft is theoretical rather than practical; a generation unprepared to navigate the moral and practical complexities of reporting.

Beyond education, this trend threatens the very ethos of journalism. Reporting is not merely about speed or efficiency; it is about truth, accountability, and service to the public. Lazy shortcuts erode these principles. The allure of AI must not blind us to the foundational role that human reporters play in democracy and civil society.

Using AI responsibly is innovation. Using it to replace reporters is laziness disguised as progress. The stations involved in this cheap practice must ask itself: are we committed to serving the public with integrity, or are we willing to cheapen our journalism for convenience?

Reporting is human. Let us ensure it remains so.

Babs Daramola is a Lagos-based broadcast journalist with over 35 years of experience on radio and TV.

About 40 worshippers were abducted by suspected terrorists at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, during early morning prayers.

The attack reportedly occurred around 5:30 a.m. when gunmen stormed the mosque, surrounded it, and took the worshippers hostage. The captors are said to have taken the victims into nearby forests around the Gohori axis in Tsafe LGA.

This incident has plunged the rural community into fear and despair, especially as local leaders and some armed groups had recently engaged in peace talks aimed at reducing violence during the farming season.

Efforts to obtain confirmation or comment from Zamfara Police authorities were unsuccessful.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to calls or messages seeking information on the abduction.

The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has initiated the process for appointing five new Permanent Secretaries, following the approval of President Bola Tinubu.

The vacancies include two positions created by the recent retirements of Permanent Secretaries from Imo State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as three zonal vacancies in the North-Central, North-East, and South-East, resulting from the establishment of new ministries.

Head of the Civil Service, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, announced the development in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Mrs. Eno Olotu. She noted that the process is structured to ensure transparency, merit, and credibility, in line with the administration’s commitment to good governance.

Eligible candidates must be serving civil servants on Grade Level 17, with a minimum of two years on the rank and no ongoing disciplinary issues, as confirmed by their respective Permanent Secretaries.

The selection process began with the compilation and screening of eligible candidates by a Committee of Permanent Secretaries, under the observation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). Candidates also completed asset declaration forms with the Code of Conduct Bureau, while clearances from the EFCC, ICPC, and DSS are ongoing.

The next phase, a written examination, will take place on September 15 at a designated Federal Government facility. Successful candidates will then proceed to an ICT proficiency test on September 17, followed by a final oral interview scheduled for September 19.

The interview panel will comprise serving and retired Permanent Secretaries, former Heads of Service, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, and representatives from the private sector. Anti-corruption agencies will also monitor the process.

Walson-Jack emphasized that the exercise reflects the government’s focus on professionalism, institutional strength, and enhanced service delivery within the civil service.

Since assuming office, President Bola Tinubu has appointed at least 26 Permanent Secretaries. Eight were sworn in during November 2023, another eight in June 2024, eight more in December 2024, and two additional appointments followed in March 2025.