As the first local entertainment news website in the entire South-East and South-South Nigeria, O’town Gist Entertainment [www.otowngist.com], is warming up to mark its second year online, the founder of the website Chinedu Hardy Nwadike is thanking God that he did not listen to what some people told him when he started.
Hardy who ventured into the entertainment industry as a reporter for an Imo State based newspaper, Nigeria Newspoint, said some high profile people called to discourage him.
“They might not have seen it as discouragement, some of them thought they were advising me. They told me that my concept of publishing local stories and talking to upcoming artistes will never last; they advised me to do more of the conventional blogging by copying news from Lagos based websites and then back it up with the local stories.
I nearly listened to them, but i realized that I love writing and was not ready to depend on stories I don’t even know the source” Hardy said.
He revealed that the first six months were never easy because even the entertainers in Imo State never understood his concept of blogging.
“Only few people like Acharaman understood where I was coming from and they encouraged me as well did their best to convince others to believe in me. The fact that I didn’t want to do it alone made it difficult because I was going around campuses to source reporters whom I never found because it was hard to find people who could create something from nothing”
However, his first crew came from Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education with Hillary Uzomba, Ugochi Oparanozie, Adanna Obi and Chinaza Ikeagwuonu who were wonderful writers seeking to grow with the site.
Others came from other university but could not stay because they found it difficult to be creating stories for their mates in school. Some wanted to be paid a huge amount of money, others wanted to write about themselves and they were things Hardy could not afford.
After one year of being online, some members of the crew withdrew, living it to what it used to be and with time, people started knowing the website which has so far written about 85% of entertainers in Imo State as well as some others from its environs and abroad.
Hardy believes there still work to be done on the website and with the arrival of Rosie Young, another young mind from Federal Polytechnic Nekede he sees the improvement day by day.
“I see our fan base increasing day by day and I thank God for that. I believe that despite our achievement, we have not reached 30% of my expectations. My plan is to raise a crop of writers who will blow the country with facts, people who a ready to report the slightest things happening on the streets, campuses and in events. People who are willing to write and create entertainment news.
I have seen some of them, but I want more, especially those who will be reporting religious activities in the state. We want to be the eyes of people who are not at the scene of any event and we want to reports facts as well”
He has been criticized on the manner of gossips he has posted recently, but Hardy believes there would be no entertainment without gossips, stating that only people that matter find their names in gossips.
“Gossips make popular people live like celebrities, it is never a bad thing, sites and newspapers can only write about people who are newsworthy, so it’s not for everyone. I understand the risk but at times, you have to do what you have to do. It is the only way to do your job very well.
The entertainment media in places like Lagos were built by writers who are content creators and not copycats; we live in an area where someone who is supposed to be a celebrity is busy every morning reading about people he is supposed to be better than, just because they are from Lagos or somewhere in Ghana or South Africa.
The media awareness here is low and we will do everything we can to increase it especially in the area of online media.
People should learn that radio and TV reports will fade instantly but anything on the internet remains as long as the website is on.”
Although O’town Gist Entertainment has made much impact in the revolution of entertainment media in Imo State especially, it still owes its success to her fans and readers who have blown their trumpet to the extent they will never imagine.
“We owe it to our readers, they mean everything to us, we are 2 years old because they stood by us, spreading our gospel without being paid.
I want to also appreciate the crew for their efforts, still welcoming freshers especially those from various campuses in the state and beyond.
Thank God, I didn’t listen to those who could have discouraged us”
Do you have a message for O’town Gist Entertainment as it clocks two years? Email it to us via otowngist@gmail.com or send us a tweet to @OtownGist with the hash tag #OtownGistAt2
