After I published my earlier reflections on Who is a Journalist? and later unpacked the distinctions between journalists, broadcasters, and On-Air Personalities (OAPs), another question naturally arose: if I work in a radio or television station, should I belong to NUJ or RATTAWU?
This might sound like a minor bureaucratic issue, but it is not. In fact, it is central to the way we understand professionalism and identity in Nigeria’s media industry.
I recall that when I first joined Katsina State Television as a young current affairs officer, my work involved presenting discussion programs, producing phone-in shows, and developing documentaries. At that stage, I was much more of a broadcaster than a journalist. Later, as I grew into news gathering, reporting, editing, and shaping stories, I began to embody the identity of a journalist. Those two phases of my career taught me an important lesson: knowing the difference between these identities matters — and so does knowing where you belong.
So, who should be in NUJ? The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) was established specifically for journalists — people whose work revolves around gathering, verifying, and disseminating news in the public interest. Reporters, correspondents, editors, photojournalists, and those directly involved in news production rightly belong here.
To belong to NUJ, you must do the hard work of journalism itself, not just appear on air.
And, who should be in RATTAWU? On the other hand, the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) was designed for a broader constituency of media and creative workers: broadcasters, presenters, OAPs, producers of entertainment or cultural programs, cameramen, engineers, film editors, dramatists, and other behind-the-scenes staff.
They may not be journalists in the strict sense, but they are crucial to the functioning of our broadcasting and creative ecosystem.
Where the confusion lies is that over the years, the lines have become blurred. Some OAPs, by virtue of their visibility, proudly carry the NUJ tag, even though they have never filed a single report or chased a story in the field. Meanwhile, hardworking journalists in the newsroom — the real gatherers of news — sometimes find themselves overshadowed by the glamour of star presenters.
This overlap weakens both unions. NUJ becomes diluted with non-journalists, while RATTAWU does not fully represent the broadcasting professionals who naturally belong there.
From my experience, the demarcation is straightforward:
* If you report, investigate, edit, or analyze news, then you belong to NUJ.
* If you present, perform, produce, or support broadcast programs, then you belong to RATTAWU.
Of course, some individuals wear both hats. A broadcaster who also reports and edits news has earned a place in NUJ. But unless you do the discipline of journalism, your lane is RATTAWU.
This is not just about paying union dues. It is about safeguarding the ethics and credibility of journalism. When OAPs and entertainers parade themselves as journalists, the public grows confused about who bears the responsibility of accuracy, fairness, and accountability. Journalism has its own sacred weight, and those who carry it must be prepared for the demands.
As someone who has worked across these roles — from current affairs broadcasting to hard news journalism, and later into regulation at the National Broadcasting Commission — I know firsthand that each role has dignity. But dignity comes with clarity. Journalism is not performance; it is a calling to truth. Broadcasting is not lesser; it is different. Both must be respected, but not confused.
So I return to the question: NUJ or RATTAWU — where do you truly belong?
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