The Noble Role of Space Journalism in Global History

Essay from the year 2015 in the subject Engineering - Aerospace Technology, ( Atlantic International University ), language: English, abstract: The media is a powerful tool for distribution of information. As the mouth piece of society, the fourth estate is responsible for ensuring that the audience is kept abreast of happenings in the society. This has enabled the media to possess the power of agenda setting across the globe, dictating the nature of developments in the society. Usually, the media dictates the development of ideas and innovations by highlighting the benefits of such developments. To this end, the media can be applauded for its beneficence to the society, in not only conveying messages to geographically dispersed audience but also prompting action and intervention through opinion formation and reinforcement of issues that need these. Space technology is one aspect of human development that has benefited immensely from media focus in Science and technology. Having emerged just in the 1950s, media coverage and analysis led to many countries considering implementing this technology. While the development of space science might have been encouraged by global hegemonic and war strategies, the media played a bigger role in creating awareness about the technology. From time immemorial, journalism has been cited as one of the sources of inspiration in the societies. The inspirations come from the fact that journalists help drive specific agendas in the society. Technology-wise, the inspirations of the media can be seen from the manner in which they have taken advantage of wars and made reports and analysis that prompted the adoption of certain war technologies into civil use. After the First World War, the advent of industrialization ushered countries to a new approach of winning economic competence. The civilized European powers and United States of America engaged on economic propulsion and scientific discoveries, which led to development of mass destruction weapons and fast warships as each country funded weaponry manufacturers and scientists. While there are many technological development that have emerged from war and which have been adopted for civil use, space technology stand out as one of the post-second war technologies that has been shaped through journalism.

Felix Ale,a household name in the field of Journalism,Corporate Communications as well as Space Science and Technology development in Nigeria, is indeed an excellent professional with inspiring records of robust and broad based experience. An exemplary focus of discipline,dedication,selfless services,humility and loyalty,Felix Ale has defined himself as a strong,indifatigable and committed communication strategist and indeed a worthy ambassador of Nigeria Union of Journalists,a professional association he proudly belongs. He holds a Ph.D in Journalism(WITH DISTINCTION) from the prestigious ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY in the United States with a broad based research interest on SPACE JOURNALISM.This research work represents the first in the academic history of Nigeria. Felix Ale is currently Head,Media and Corporate Communications of the National Space Research and Development Agency(Nigeria Space Agency)in Abuja. He is also the Editor in Chief of NIGERIA SPACE DIGEST, a monthly publication of the Space Agency. In addition, he is a member of the Editorial Board of DISCOVERIES MAGAZINE, a monthly publication of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ale, a very distinguished media practitioner has equally attended the INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY in France for a Post graduate course on Space Science and technology.He was also at the prestigious HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL in the United States and UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD where he successfully completed different short term post-graduate courses respectively.He has previously worked as Staff Reporter,Government House Correspondent,News Editor,Press Attache to Military Governors and Chief Press Secretary to a democratically elected government in Ondo State, Nigeria. He has also attended a good number of foreign courses,workshops and conferences on media as well as Space Science and Technology across the globe. Felix Ale, a one time JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR IN ONDO STATE-NIGERIA has also delivered papers at different national and international fora and has received several national and international merit awards.Today,he is one of the leading Space Affairs Analysts/Journalists in Africa and belongs to various local and international professional associations,bodies and groups.Among these are the World's largest organization for Public Relations-Public Relations Society of America(PRSA),World Federation of Science Writers Association and Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ).