A renowned journalist and former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian Newspaper, Mr. Martins Oloja, has called for a total media reform in Nigeria, describing lack of political economy of press freedom as the main missing link bedeviling ethical journalism in 21st century, reports ITREALMS.
According to him, it is not basically because of social media that the newspapers are not selling optimally, blaming that on traditional journalism losing its power to interrogate the society especially the leadership so as to enthrone positive change for the larger society.
He lamented that "there was a newspaper" since the sell of Daily Times in the name of privatisation which has left the media industry with a shadow of itself.
"Accuracy remains accuracy and journalists will remain accountable to the society," he declared, stressing that ethical journalism supports democracy.
Oloja, a fellow of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, pointed out that in 21st Century, every nation needs new media that is digitally savvy to understand the financial literacy and especially the political economy of the press freedom.
Mr. Oloja in company of another speaker and Executive Director, Media Career Development Network, Mr. Lekan Otufundrin, said that media management has not been a significant module in the curriculum of journalism in this part of the world.
In 2018, Oloja recalled he had raised the question at a seminar at the Bayero University attended by some 156 Heads of Departments of Journalism and Mass Communication in Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics; suggested a disruption of the mass communication and journalism curriculum to include management and business education modules.
“Media boards of directors have always moved journalists from newsrooms to boardrooms without concomitant training in management of even finances,” he said, emphasizing that ethical journalism is possible in Nigeria because Editors and News Directors are educated enough, but the operating environment is not favourable for ethical or good journalism.
“Most of the media organisations are poorly capitalised and most of the proprietors are not adequately educated about what corporate governance system they should adopt. They don’t know how to recapitalise to rebrand. They depend solely on the poorly capitalised banks, a few irregular and seasonal advertisers,” he lamented.
Oloja identified two sources currently for sustaining the newspapers and media at large in the country; “through the FCT Minister and the proprietor of Tantita, pipeline security firm, through sometimes over 40 pages of advert in one fell swoop and ‘wrap around’.”
The implications of this patronage, Oloja said, shape the political economy he talked about, reiterating that where the economy is solely dominated by public sector engagement, “there can’t be press freedom, no matter how brilliant you are as editor.”
Oloja recalled that the Section 22 of the constitution stated inter alia that media “monitor governance and hold public officers to account” insisting that “Only good and independent journalism can deliver this tough job” lest they become lapdogs.
Oloja also wondered how the Abuja press corps, for instance, could monitor the governance in Abuja and hold the FCT Minister to account when the minister is much sought after by even publishers who want the sometimes more than 50-page advert regularly?
“Who can monitor and evaluate what Tantita is doing with the pipelime security business in the Niger Delta region where oil theft is still rife?” he asked.
Oloja went on to cite as the reason why Sina Odugbemi, former Programme Head, Communication for Governance and Accountability Programme (CommGAP) at the World Bank (Institute) once observed in a bank’s publication titled, “Public Sentinel: News Media and Governance Reform” that, ‘A focus on strengthening institutions like the news media is not yet seen as a core business in many development agencies.’
This, therefore, Odugbemi said, is why opportunities to strengthen the news media will always depend on the situation in each country and will always depend on the interplay of forces within each country. Stressing that ‘the political economic realities will always determine what can be achieved.’
In effect, Oloja underscored that those who want to improve media systems in their own countries must learn to build effective coalitions, which is where the real work is needed.
Oloja further quoted Odugbemi as saying that “nonetheless, it is possible to bring together what we know right now about how news media can contribute to good governance outcomes. Second, it is possible to draw the necessary policy implications. This is where the political economy of a free press is relevant.“
Earlier, the chairman, TJAA Board of Trustees, and the Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media group, Ogbuefi Chinenyeze Remmy Nweke, in his welcome remarks, noted that Mr. Ndubuisi Ugbede 70th birthday, is a milestone worthy of celebration and paid tribute to a life of dedication, passion, and commitment to the noble profession of journalism.
Mr. Ugbede's legacy, Nweke said, is a testament to his tireless efforts in shaping the careers of countless journalists and inspiring a new generation of storytellers.
“On behalf of the TJAA, I extend our warmest felicitations to Mr. Ugbede. We celebrate his life, his achievements, and his enduring impact on our industry,” Nweke, stressing that TJAA story cannot be complete without equally paying tribute to the “Unstoppable Class of '99, whose dream to unite themselves in and around 2016 gave birth to TJAA in 2018, courtesy of the trio of my humble self, Funmilayo Omoboriowo, and Patricia Ochie (née Onyekwere).”
Further, Nweke who doubles as Governor-General TJAA Class99 urged keen members to join forces with the BoT members, including Uwem Udofia, Muyiwa Lucas, Very Revd Chukwudi P. Onyekwere, and Funmi Omoboriowo, as well as the current Executive Committee, led by President Clifford Agugoesi, by taking up leadership roles to make TJAA more formidable.
Nkem Nweke/Editor
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