I was invited to and spent all day speaking to the National Association of Judicial Correspondents (NAJUC). Here is what I had to say to the gathering. Is there a future for the Nigerian Journalist?
PROTOCOLInformation they say is as powerful as the pen it emerges from or indeed the mind that conceptualizes it and presents it.
‘Content is King’ has been a long-standing phrase as we entered the information age via a variety of non-traditional platforms.
Those who provided information and by extension made content possible became major players in the information age.
Journalists suddenly became the lecturers of the world and built reputations based on Integrity and Professional Responsibility.
Public perception and reliance upon the output of journalists rose or fell depending on what the journalist presented.
Many journalists have made great names for themselves in the profession across the world. In each country or place, journalists are demi-gods with a vast number of subjects waiting for any and all information from them.
Some have built reputations in the profession, while other careers have been destroyed or have fallen, as the audience gained or lost confidence in any particular journalist.
The impact of an audience’s loss of confidence has ramifications beyond the journalist himself or herself.
For the journalist, a means of livelihood is eroded with a tainted reputation and for the profession a broad brush is applied to taint other members of the profession.
The primary duties of the journalist are to Inform and Educate. One cannot be done without the other else there is no completeness of skill, talent or expertise in the profession.
The easier of the two is to Inform. Today this seems to be the prevailing trend. The only pre-requisite of the journalist in this instance is to inform factually.
This does not make a Journalist of anyone of us. It makes us Reporters. If backed by research or indeed eyewitness accounts, the submissions are as factual as the information gathered for the purpose.
In a developing society such as Nigeria, with a large population of the uninformed and the uneducated, the greater responsibility lies in the need to Educate.
To Educate assumes that a journalist has undertaken invaluable research and fact-finding to produced well-articulated stories with historical references, proper naming conventions, spellings, pronunciations etc.
All considered and via the numerous possible media utilized, journalists stand a greater chance of educating many more people than teachers or lecturers in our institutions can reach.
The Radio journalist, the Newsroom journalist or even the Television Presenter have greater reach than professional teachers.
Both the Journalist and the Teacher are serving the same purpose in society. They inform and at the same time educate or inform for educational purposes.
The reliance that the audience has on the information provided is critical to building a better informed or educated society.
The inability to effectively inform and educate has serious negative impact on the society in question.
What then do journalists need to do to ensure their own longevity and greater reward in the profession?
Today, the journalistic profession in Nigeria is suffering from many years of ‘abuse’, distrust and a doubting audience.
As a result, many journalists are engaged in a profession exposed to risk, not only to their careers but also to their persons.
The industry in Nigeria has fallen short in the duty and responsibility to educate.
Firstly, the credibility of the practitioners is mocked due to the assumption that it is a paid-for job rather than an industry full of dedicated professionals. We are all aware of the Brown Envelope reputation of Nigerian Journalists.
Such is public disbelief or distrust of the Nigerian journalist that the future and the sustainability of a career is proving difficult today.
If the Nigerian journalist finds himself or herself in a lowly paid, high-risk profession today, one of the reasons may well be because of the low regard given to the profession.
If the belief, real or imagined, of a ‘Brown Envelop Profession’ holds, it suggests that the journalist has to deliver according to the whims and caprices of those who provide such envelopes. “He who pays the Piper dictates the tune”.
A cursory look at the quality of reports today, suggests that the Nigerian journalist has a task to redeem his or her image firstly by improving the quality of their delivery. Oral or written, the public stands to assume correctness of what they read or hear or indeed see, because they expect such from the profession.
Many in the world have gone forth to become institutions. This is something the Nigerian journalist must aim for.
I remember the advent of CNN. Ted Turner was told that as a venture, 24-hr news coverage and presentation was not viable. Skeptics at the time had underrated the public desire for information and power the profession had in society.
Many years later, simply by one person stating that he or she heard or saw it on CNN settled arguments.
Before 24-hr coverage, other news agencies, local and global, had built and still exist on solid reputations for factual, accurate and timely delivery of information. They have become established general News and Information brands. The BBC, VOA, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNBC, CSPAN and lately AL-JAZEERA.
As competition grew, many establishments sought professional and capable journalists and staff. Their entire business depended on quality and substance. Reporting was no longer enough.
Over the years, huge reputations were built for individual journalists and the list of the great names is endless. In the late 50s and into the 60s in America everyone tuned in and look up to the late Walter Cronkite. Until he tearfully announced the death of President John F. Kennedy following his assassination, many were still praying for a miracle.
Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw were a trio of Network Anchors in America. If they all reported the same thing, then it was taken as gospel.
Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward were investigative journalists who eventually brought down the Nixon Administration over the Watergate Scandal.
The Dimbleby brothers, Zainab Badawi, Moira Stewart, Jon Snow, Riz Khan etc are all familiar faces around the globe.
What these individuals have succeeded in doing I create and opportunity for themselves beyond their daily jobs as journalists.
Many have gone on to increase their earnings as reputable and dependable public speakers.
Many opportunities exist as commentators or providers of opinion.
Many more are consistent authors of Bestsellers. All of this from the same profession that the Nigerian journalist struggles in today.
All of these provide additional income while building a sustainable career and dependable reputations.
We must move away from simple reportage. We must self-educate and inform before seeking to educate others.
In written or verbal delivery, accuracy is imperative. Spellings, Pronunciations, Factual Data all form what educates the audience.
In recent years we have fallen way short. This has resulted in the negative impact on the profession and the individual practitioners.
The news organizations themselves feel this negative impact. If their journalists cannot be trusted or relied upon for accurate information, then their business, based on circulation or audience figures will suffer. To keep going, some will pay peanuts to struggling jobseekers that think they are journalists.
The profession is challenging in any country, fraught with stresses and sometimes dangers. The high regard accorded journalists anywhere else in the world has been earned; the respect and sometimes fear of the journalist comes from the clarity of the journalist’s position and the huge following commanded.
With the advent of the Internet and Satellite Television, greater challenge is presented to the profession. News Programming, Social commentators, Bloggers, Online News Sites and even Social Networking sites have increased the number of available platforms for information and information providers.
Successful journalists around the world utilize all the various media platforms to increase their reach and following, that way building the foundations for a longer lasting career with possibilities for increased earnings.
Finally, they all look the part, speak the part and present the facts; all help increase their profiles as journalists.
The Nigerian journalist must be trusted again and it is only them who can ensure their own futures.
The upcoming elections of 2011 present an opportunity for the restoration of confidence in the profession.
This would be a good place to restart and re-energize journalists, journalism and restore audience confidence.
Thank You.
