NIGERIA MEDIA MONITOR

MARCH 24, 2003.

BUHARI FIRES AT NTA
NBC BOSS GIVES PRIVATE BROADCASTING STATIONS PASS MARK
COVERAGE OF PARTIES, CANDIDATES: MEDIA ACCUSED OF BIAS
IN SEARCH OF BETTER PHOTOJOURNALISM
FOR DAAR, A LAST MINUTE REPRIEVE FOR NETWORK SEEKER
BANK/MEDIA RELATIONS IN INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

BUHARI FIRES AT NTA
Daily Independent March 21, 2003
Piqued by the blackout given to his campaign in Yola, the Adamawa State
capital, General Muhammadu Buhari, the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP),
presidential candidate, has vowed to take the Nigerian Television Authority
(NTA) to court.

The retired general accused the government owned TV station of deliberately
blocking the transmission of his campaign in the state and giving
preferential treatment to the campaign of the ruling party, Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP). Buhari's reservation is well placed if the decree
setting up the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) is anything to go
by.

The NTA is only more culpable of a misconduct that most of the
organisations-Radio and TV - cannot actually exonerate themselves from. The
flagrant abuse of the provision by the stations only confirms that the
country's democratic journey is still far off.

In the South West, the Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation (LTV and Radio),
Ogun State TV and Radio, and the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State
(BCOS), have been a mere campaign mouth piece of incumbents. Can the BON
really wield the big stick?

NBC BOSS GIVES PRIVATE BROADCASTING STATIONS PASS MARK
Daily Times, March 21, 2003
The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC), Yisa
Silas, on Thursday said private broadcasting stations in the country have
proved to be more reliable, just as he declared that the stipulated
guidelines of political coverage by the commission was not for its exclusive
supervision.

Speaking on a television programme, Hot seat, a current affairs programme on
the Ogun State Television (OGTV), monitored in Abeokuta on Tuesday, Silas
pointed out that the initial scepticism on the effectiveness of private
broadcasting, 10 years after operation had been proved wrong.

The NBC boss, while acknowledging the presence of 30 political parties in
the country as a challenge to the commission, regretted that most of the
newly registered parties could not be reached for effective coverage of
their activities, thereby leaving the government controlled stations to
always have their ways in terms of news items and releases made
available to the stations.

COVERAGE OF PARTIES, CANDIDATES: MEDIA ACCUSED OF BIAS
Daily Times, March 17, 2003
The presidential candidate of the Progress Action Congress (PAC) Mrs Sarah
Jibril, has accused the nation's mass media of not giving adequate publicity
to the so-called smaller political parties and their candidates.

Jibril, who spoke in Abuja at a workshop on election reporting organised by
the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said the press have tended to
report "richer" parties more to the disadvantage of others.

She wondered why product and business advertisements cost less than
political advertisement, a development she noted was inimical to the growth
of democracy.

The PAC candidate opined that because her party was not as rich as the big
ones did not mean it was bereft of ideas and popular programmes, adding that
all the 30 political parties have equal stake in the future of the country
and democracy.

She implored the media regulatory agencies to check the commercialisation of
political news, and urged the media to do more to promote issue-based
discourse in the forthcoming election.

IN SEARCH OF BETTER PHOTOJOURNALISM
Daily Independent, March 17, 2003
The British Council is one of the foreign agencies in the country that has
continued to demonstrate its commitment to the development of various
sectors of the country. From arts to science and technology, and in fact,
in all facets of life it has continued to show its interest.

One of the key areas in which it has shown this is that of making
photojournalism more relevant and issue oriented. From time immemorial, the
issue of the use of photographs in newspapers and magazines have generated a
lot of tension between editors and photojournalists. While photojournalists
argue that their contributions to the profession is often neglected or
underplayed, editors on the other hand argue that pictures that are supplied
by them do not often tell enough graphic stories.

In the last few weeks, Tim Herthington, courtesy of the council has been in
the country. He first held a five-day workshop with photojournalists drawn
from all over the federation. The essence of the first five days was to
share notes with them and after that they broke up to meet again after two
weeks. During the break, they were expected to return assignments that had
been farmed out.

The workshop conducted under the title: "Telling Stories with Pictures," was
to prepare grounds for a creative writing workshop, which is to be held
later in the year. It is also expected that the best photo stories
submitted would form part of an exhibition which would later travel around
the country and possibly the United Kingdom.

FOR DAAR, A LAST MINUTE REPRIEVE FOR NETWORK SEEKER
Vanguard, March 19, 2003
Tension, once again flared in the broadcast industry last week when the
regulatory body, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) moved against
the operations of Daar Communications, shutting down two broadcast sites in
one week.

For the NBC, it was a way of doing its job to ensure that every operator
works according to the broadcast guidelines. While for Dr. Raymond Dokpesi,
it was an execution of the history of hate which the NBC harbours against
his operations.

But by Friday last week, the Minister of Information and National
Orientation. Prof. Gerry Gana had acted in such a matured manner perhaps to
convince Dokpesi that there was nobody after him in the real sense of it.
Prof. Gana gave the Daar chief a reprieve by approving a temporary network
whose life span may expire in May pending when a new law would have been put
in place between the NBC and the National Assembly.

A press statement from the Public Affairs Department of the NBC signed by
Mr. Ahmed Abdulkadir reads: "The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has
shut down the Africa Independent Television, AIT, and Ray Power in Kano.
This is because the stations were operating illegally as they were not
authourized to operate in Kano".

"Daar Communications, owner of AIT and Ray Power has licence for Satellite
broadcast and its signal can only be received in Nigeria via dish and
satellite receivers".

BANK/MEDIA RELATIONS IN INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
Dailly Independent, March 17, 2003.
Regrettably, however, even though CBN appeared to be aware of the danger
looming over the financial system and the imminent collapse of some banks,
the monetary authorities refused to publicly admit the grave situation.

Rather, the press and the general public were effectively kept in the dark
until the bubble burst. And, of course, when it happened, the news media
went to town with real and imaginary lists of distressed banks. This did
not only create a run on the genuinely affected banks, but a profound effect
on the healthy ones. In reaction, observers and informed opinions in the
industry, particularly those operators (banks) that have been grossly, or
even mildly, misrepresented, felt highly embarrassed and disappointed at the
tirade of press expose. They complained that journalists were mischievous,
ill-informed and insensitive. They were said to be interested in
emphasising the negative, the sensational and the abnormal.

The media on the other hand would always point at lack of cooperation in
information dissemination, as well as the contempt, suspicion and disregard
with which some bank executives, most of which form the pool of reliable
information, treated reporters when the need arose to crosscheck or clarify
sensitive information of such fundamental nature.

At this state, who do we blame for the communication gap in information
dissemination mentioned above; the bank chief executive, who does not trust
the reporter enough to confide in him, or the reporter who is bent on
publishing at all cost in order to inform the public or to sell his paper?
To answer this, we must examine two important factors viz: Conflict of
Confidence in Information Dissemination Perhaps the issue of paramount
importance is the relationship between the journalist and the score of
people and institutions he has cause to deal with in his day-to-day
businesses of news gathering and dissemination.

In particular, the relationship between members of the press and bank
executives, even at the highest levels, seems closer to collision than
antagonism. The lazy reporter, for instance, quickly learns that his work
can be made easier if he contents himself with rewriting hand-outs, company
press releases, and other promotional stories. Not only is little effort
required for such an endeavour, there is also no risk of offending officials
who are the direct beneficiaries of this effort. Also, the reporter may not
only be reluctant to file a story that contains materials critical of one of
his regular sources, but may be manoeuvred into a position in which he is
directly used by a bank official to accomplish certain policy purposes, good
or bad.

This patronising outlook of the journalists is often used to assess and
mirror the entire profession or industry, particularly by bank chief
executives. Thus, the reporter is perceived to be lazy, inept,
poorly-educated, irresponsible and corrupt. In fact, he is not considered
fit or good enough for any profession or occupation other than journalism.
For sure, there are preconceived ideas already imbued with the bank
executive long before he comes in contact with, or has to engage the
services of a journalist. Because his mind is already made up, the chief
executive officer treats the journalist, from the Editor down to the lowest
reporter, with utmost suspicion and disdain.

Furthermore, the chief executive strongly believes that to get to his
present level, he had to acquire strings of academic and professional
qualifications, as well as long years of service with unbroken or untainted
track record of achievements to his credit. And by virtue of his position,
he sits on a corporate empire worth billions of naira and controls hundreds
of workers, and must have contributed immensely to the growth and success of
his company before he was ever considered fit to be chief executive officer.
Therefore, in dealing with journalists, either in official or private
capacity, he considers himself a special being and relates to the reporter
with unqualified air of superiority and haughtiness.

On his own part, the reporter, first and foremost, sees himself as an
independent watchdog of the nation's economic, social and political
interests. He claims to be the custodian of information and can comment on
any aspect of human endeavour. In fact, he expects not only to be feared
but revered for his inexhaustible reserve of knowledge! Thus, in the
course of news gathering and dissemination, he expects all doors to open at
his beck and call, including that of the chief executive, who must roll out
the carpets whenever he comes calling! This apart, the journalist is not
only aware of the suspicion and disdain in which the executive holds him,
but sees every encounter for interview or discussions as another collision
or war which he (reporter) must win outright. In fact, the contention of
the journalist is that the persistent confrontation arises from lack of
co-operation from chief executive officers, and this may be due to
incompetence, inadequate exposure, or deliberate attempts to cover up fraud
and other misdeeds.

He also believes that most bank executives know next to nothing about
developments outside their immediate area of influence, and that they hide
such ignorance by avoiding any close encounter or relationship with the
press. In this situation, the reporter's mind is already made up about the
character and composition of the chief executive and would often maintain an
offensive stance in any encounter with him.

It is clear at this juncture that the perceived sense of importance, which
often border on pride (arrogance) and prejudices, by the journalist and the
bank executive, more than anything else, constitutes the source of conflict
of confidence in their day-to-day interaction. The truth, however, is that
while the perception of the journalist by the executive may be true for some
reporters of yesteryears, it certainly does not hold much water for modern
day journalists, particularly those of the credible media houses in the
country. The journalism profession, like banking, law, accountancy,
engineering, etc., is dynamic and responds positively to local and global
needs of a changing society like ours. Entry qualifications for instance
have not only been made highly competitive, but professional, and on-the-job
training are highly emphasised and geared towards meeting the needs of the
emerging electronic and computer environment. Furthermore, while the least
qualified reporter now holds an HND, most Editors I know hold first and
second degrees, in addition to the long experience and exposure acquired
during their beat days. Also, international exchange and study programmes
have exposed them to journalists from other lands and the practice of the
profession in other countries of the world. Thus, in performing his duties,
this varied experience comes to play. Hence, the Editor is like any chief
executive officer in any bank or corporation who combines professional and
managerial acumen to run a successful organisation. Such a man would
certainly frown at anyone doubting his credibility, ability and professional
sense of judgement.

In the same vein, the general impression journalists have of the bank
executive is certainly without basis. While a profession like banking, by
its very nature, requires a high degree of secrecy for effective
performance, many bank CEOs I know are not only highly informed and exposed,
but have come to appreciate the role journalists play in the society and
have effectively been dealing with them within the limits permitted by the
secrecy stance.

This is not, however, to say that all is well; for just as there are
incompetent, dubious and mischievous Editors and Reporters, there exist many
inept and ill-educated chief executive officers who still prefer to keep the
journalist at bay and hold him in contempt. In each case, these groups are
exceptions rather than the rule, and it would be unfair to use them to
mirror their respective professions.

This text was written by Ademola Ogunlowo

TO OUR DEAR READERS:
1 Media Monitor is designed as a dialogical project. We expect its
contents to elicit reactions from its readers. And we encourage you to share
your feelings with others on its pages. Letters not longer than 200 words
and addressed to The Editor, Media Monitor, should be sent to:
[email protected]
2. It is our desire that Media Monitor gets to all locations where people
believe in the cause of free expression, democracy and freedom. We are
working to extend the reach of the publication. And we implore you to
support this endeavour. How? Simply compile and e-mail to us a list of
persons and organisations who you believe would find this publication useful
for their work. We will promptly put them on our mailing list. Our target
audience includes media, free expression/human rights bodies, NGO's
diplomatic/policy centres, professional associations, departments/school of
journalism/mass communication/government/political science/African studies,
and other strategic circles.

MEDIA MONITOR IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY AND CIRCULATED WORLDWIDE BY INDEPENDENT
JOURNALISM CENTRE (IJC) 27 ACME ROAD, OGBA, P. O. BOX 7808, IKEJA, LAGOS,
NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA. PHONE/FAX: 234-1-4924998; E-MAIL: [email protected]