A number of media practitioners and freelance journalists have raised concerns about the conduct of a public relations firm, Strategic Effects Media, which is reportedly connected to Ayodele Aminu, a public figure and media executive associated with the Telegraph newspaper.
According to multiple claims from journalists and industry sources, some banks’ corporate communications efforts appear not to translate into meaningful, timely support for the media content they intend to promote. While banks and their corporate communications teams say they invest in media visibility as part of their brand and stakeholder engagement, critics allege that the distribution chain for related press communications and media support may not be operating transparently.
Concerns Over Press Dissemination and Alleged Distribution Practices
Journalists claim that Strategic Effects Media operates a large media distribution structure, reported to include a WhatsApp group of over 300 media platform owners where press releases from financial institutions are shared routinely.
However, according to these allegations, some journalists report receiving little or no follow-through in terms of support, incentives, or other promised communications engagement benefits. Journalists further allege that when press releases are shared, the promised “media outreach” outcomes do not consistently reflect what participating journalists are told to expect.
While press release dissemination is not inherently problematic, the concern raised by journalists is whether communications are being used as a conduit for payments that do not ultimately reach the media practitioners in the way banks may believe.
Claims of Selective Disbursements
Some journalists allege that disbursement, or any additional support tied to bank communications; is not consistent. They claim that only after direct escalation to banks do certain benefits reach a small number of media practitioners, rather than being distributed broadly or proportionately based on participation and engagement.
The journalists’ position is that this pattern creates suspicion; leading many in the media community to believe that banks may be “playing catch-up” with information they do not fully control, or that intermediaries may be interfering with the intended outcomes of bank-sponsored media activity.
Impression of Exploitation and Trust Erosion
Industry sources say the matter has contributed to frustration and strained relationships between some journalists and financial institutions’ communications teams. Journalists state that repeated experiences; where media practitioners feel sidelined or treated as passive recipients of information; have led them to question whether corporate communication funds and outreach arrangements are being effectively implemented.
Critically, journalists stress that their concerns are not merely about access to information, but about the broader accountability surrounding how media engagements are coordinated and how any associated financial or logistical support is administered.
Responses Yet Unclear
As of the time of this report, it is not confirmed what internal processes banks use to verify whether media outreach vendors deliver value to the media community as intended, nor whether specific arrangements with Strategic Effects Media were reviewed for transparency and fairness.
“Efforts to seek clarification from Strategic Effects Media yielded a response stating, ‘We are working on a response.’
As of the time of filing this report, Ayodele Aminu and the affected banks had not publicly responded to the concerns raised.”
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