Blogging Is The Future Of Journalism- Ladun Liadi

I stumbled into this at Laduns’s blog and felt like sharing it with you guys.

just as she said it.

Aww I wasn’t ready to publish this interview here, I have never
published any of my interviews on my blog, but so many readers who have
gone through my new interview with The Nation newspaper have been asking
me to re-publish it here. So I agreed because of my new readers, who
really know little or nothing about me, lol. I think the interview was
on the 4th of January, 2015. Not sure, but I remember I got a call the
next day after the New Year celebration.Okay get to know a little more
about me, lol.

You’ve definitely made an impression as a
blogger in Nigeria with your site, ladunliadinews.com. How does it feel
to be one of the leading bloggers in the country?

It feels great, awesome. It has made me believe
more in myself. And all I just do now is work on how to take it to
greater height.

How did it begin for you? Were you ever into journalism before going into online blogging?

Oh yes, I practised Journalism for two years
before going into blogging. I worked for a soft-sell magazine for two
years. But after two years, I just felt it wasn’t challenging enough for
me, because I still had a lot of time to myself and I wanted to work
all the time. Then I got to know about blogging, and I said yes, now I
have my own medium, with which I can work for as long as I want.
Frankly, that was it. But then, this is journalism too. Isn’t it?

It took quite a while for you to reveal
yourself to the public, by way of posting your picture very recently;
what were you playing at?

Absolutely nothing. I just see myself has a
reporter and not a person in limelight. But then, the more I tried to
hide myself, the more people wanted to meet with the face and
personality behind the blog. So last year, I decided to do a video for
my readers who had threatened to disown me, if I do not reveal myself.
More so when most of them found out it was a lady behind it. And of
course a lot of advertising agencies too wanted the face out, so they
could convince their clients that the owner is a young Nigerian with an
identity, who knows what she is doing.

What is the rough estimate of visitors to your blog; and do you feel fulfilled?

Rough estimate? I obviously won’t reveal that.
But if you are a blogger, you will know it’s extremely huge. It’s on the
high side. Of course I feel fulfilled for now. But again, you know I am
not number one yet, so I need to work harder.

How has it been breaking hot news ahead of traditional media like radio/TV and the newspaper?

It’s been fun. And there’s this feeling I get
when big media houses, like radio, television stations break the news I
probably reported some hours back. It makes me feel like, ‘Yes I am
working, I am being heard.’

Again you seem to have also pitched your tent with lifestyle/entertainment news, why so?

My blog has always been like that. But lately we
do all round news, especially in these days of politics. You know that
virtually all Nigerians are concentrating on politics and the
forthcoming elections now.

How about advert patronage? How well good is the general corporate support?

Oh it’s been tremendous, I would say. As a
matter of fact, that’s where the real money is. I wonder why I don’t get
background takeovers though. But hopefully that’ll begin to happen this
year. Aside that, the advert patronage has been great.

What have been the challenges and hurdles as you forayed into blogging?

It used to be power and bad internet connection,
but those are things of the past now. There are standby generators, and
of course we have all the internet connection working in Nigeria today;
if you know what I mean. When one is slow, I move onto the next one
fast. It’s not that it’s fun buying all of them, but as a serious
blogger, you just have to own all the networks. Internet connection in
Nigeria is still very bad.

Recently another leading blogger ran into
trouble on account of using stories and materials without permission;
how are you coping with this aspect? How do you source and gather your
news? Do you have reporters etc?

I always credit my sources. And yes, I have
reporters. But sadly, they can only do the outside job. Handling
cameras, attending press conferences and going on few other official
assignments. As for my blog, I handle it all alone for now. I just feel
that you have to have my mind-set if you want to join me in handling the
blog.

Blogging is also generally believed to be highly rewarding, how financially rewarding has it been for you?

If I will be honest with you, blogging is just
like yahoo yahoo. The money just keeps coming in, and sometimes you say
God, this is something I started like a ‘joke’.  I just wanted my own
voice, I just wanted to write. But today, the story is different. It has
been very rewarding financially, and I owe it to God.

How would you assess blogging activities in Nigeria? Do you subscribe to the fact that it is the future of media?

It is, except we want to hide away from the
truth. Blogging as far as I know is modern day journalism. Everyone one
wants to be featured on blogs these days, including politicians,
celebrities, and opinion leaders in the country. Doesn’t that tell you
that it is indeed the future of journalism?

But there is also the little snag of it
becoming overcrowded, as more bloggers seem to be emerging by the day.
How are you coping with that?

If something is doing well, it is expected that
other will join in. It only goes to prove and reinforce the fact that it
is indeed the future of journalism. But of course, everyone is welcome
on board.

Do you have any awards and other acknowledgements so far for your efforts?

Of course. The latest of them is Dot Com Awards for The Best Entertainment Blog in 2014 (Practitioners choice).

Tell us your educational background and antecedents.

I am an accounting graduate. I attended All
Saints Church School, Ibadan, and then ISSI, before I finished at Jelly
Las College, Lagos.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years

I do not know where God is taking me; but anywhere He leads me, I will go.