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Motherhood Has Tempered Me A Lot – Queen of Tabloids, MOJI DANISA



In those good old days, her name was all over town. She was one of the most celebrated media practitioners in Nigeria. Moji Danisa was fearless and brutally frank in her writings.



So good was she that she became an Editor at a relatively young age of 25. lt was a great feat in those good old days.

Many celebrities feared her. She rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty.

Now at over 50, Moji  who was then given many nicknames like Queen of the Tabloids, Queen of Softsell, etc has slowed down a bit. Motherhood has tempered her.

She has a magazine she publishes called Paparazzi which is in hot demand.

A few days back she spoke to City People Online Fashion and Beauty Magazine Publisher SEYE KEHINDEabout her life in publishing.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

What have you been up to all these years?

I've been doing a lot of things. Publishing Paparazzi Magazine, in and out of the creeks of the Niger Delta for documentaries, producing TV shows like the Amazons and Break it Down, writing Biographies, managing some on-line sites and blogs, generally involved in communication strategy... all within my area of expertise which is media.


You are not so active in d mainstream media like before What has been taking your time?

I am still very active as you can see from my response, just that I haven't been on screen for a while but I will be back soon. However, I am doing much more now than before because I am looking for the money to pay staff and not the other way round. #laughs

At some point in your active career, you dominated the soft sell sector and you had so many nicknames like the Queen of Soft sell. How did you take all that attention?

Actually they called me the Queen of Junk back in the day because I came with something different daring where others feared to tread. With me, there were no sacred cows so those who had a lot of money to spend, carried out a campaign of calumny thinking it would slow me down especially as I was so young but they did not know that I was as resilient as I turned out to be. Because of my courage, I gained a lot more admirers than enemies, I became hugely popular and one of the most credible Editors because my stories we're well researched and always turned the truth. I was awesomely flattered and happy. I was just 25 when I was made editor, which was a feat in those days. I dined and wined with the finest, everybody, especially influential people wanted to be in my good books, yet I couldn't be bribed or cajoled... I just enjoyed that whole period, with millions of common people in my corner. I worked hard, went days without sleep, took risks, rode in bullion vans because of threat to my life...wow! It was all so interesting, adrenal pumping. Today, some call me Queen of Journalism, Queen of Soft Sell, Queen of Tabloids or simply, Queen. It's all good, I thank God for that period, He saw me through.

How do you see the various phases the media has been through over the years culminating in the social media?

Oh it's been great progress. In our time, we actually we're doing what the Tabloids are doing now and if you look at it critically, almost every publication is tilting towards tabloid format from writing style to page planning to much more of the softer news getting even more space than hard news. I always say, if we had social media, we wouldn't have worked so hard but that hard work actually shaped us for the new world where everything is fast and furious such that at over 50, I can compete considerably well. On the flip side, journalism is getting a bad name because people cannot separate journalism from regular blogs or opinions. There needs to be Education on this, there needs to be regulation.

Will you agree with those who feel that age has mellowed Moji considerably?

Perhaps motherhood tempered me but I don't think I have mellowed. I honestly do not think those who follow me on social media will think I have mellowed. I am still as hard-hitting as ever within the boundaries of ethics. Yes, I think so. Laughs.










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