By Mahmud Garba Shawai.
This write up has not been done with the intention to attack or insult any personal entity or group of people.
I felt paralyzed when I thought of putting this piece down due to the selfish nature of humans and also our artificial nature of going against the truth deliberately, whenever a pebble of truth strikes us. But, I deemed it necessary to voice out whenever such need arises.
Journalism contributed positively and otherwise in the contemporary world we are today. Nigeria is not an exception among the countries that benefited from the good practices of journalism and also suffered and still suffering from its opposites.
Firstly, we need to revisit the true definition of the word journalism.
Journalism, PR, and Cash for Coverage: Matters Arising
Journalism is unbiased production and distribution of reports on current or past events based on facts and supported with proofs or pieces of evidence. The word journalism applies to the occupation, as well as citizen journalists who gather and publish unbiased information based on facts and supported with proofs or shreds of evidence.
GOOD!
It is obvious that journalism played a significant role in the growth and development of this country.
Undoubtedly, the development brought by journalism encompasses almost all aspects of our social lives.
Thousands of oppressed individuals that were detained illegally have gotten their liberty through the influence of journalism. In Nigeria, numerous politicians were kicked out of office due to some of their perpetrated acts that were exposed through broadcast, print, and new media.
In short, the media industry in Nigeria serves as a solace to the average Nigerian folks. They are the voice of the voiceless, the nexus between the masses and the elites, and also an oasis in the eyes of the less privileged individuals.
Lucidly, the power of journalism force and reinforce leaders to do the right things that they have less concern on, at the same time it deprives negative people of perpetrating evil acts in the public domain.
A lot of solicitations and complaints have been carrying out through various programs mostly radio, media helps in lifting a reasonable number of people from hardships which includes:
- Hospital charges
- School registration fees
- Food stuffs
- Employment opportunities
- Sexual assault
- Chauvinism injustice
- Infrastructural development
- Oppression
- Social Insecurity
- Domestic violence and many more.
Without an iota of regret we certainly need to applaud, appreciate, and continue to support journalism in Nigeria, because it’s the only shade that remains for an average citizen to enjoy.
The Challenges
As I asserted, journalism is playing a significant role in the growth and development of this nation. Likewise, there are unnumbered damages and internal selfishness within the domain of journalists.
Media houses today, became the coaches of many perpetrated immoralities by repeatedly broadcasting a certain evil act. The more dirty-minded folks are listening to such negative practices methodologies used by other serial perpetrators the better they become expert in that aspect by integrating their previous knowledge and present one gotten from the media, this makes series of immoral attitudes to be escalating instead of diminishing.
Today, journalism in Nigeria has become a license for dancing all tunes of immorality without fairness or regret because no one is going to criticize or report the indecencies, actions, or bad attitudes of journalists in the public domain.
It’s obvious, most of the programs aired or reported by the mass media that do criticize and unveil the negativities of politicians, business tycoons, influential traditional holders, and high-level government officials are mostly supported by the personal and selfish interest of either the presenters of the programs or their bosses within the media domain.
Corruption is the foremost element that media persons claim to be exposing continuously, but unfortunately, it’s incredible to know that corruption has taken over the integrity of most media houses, though only members within the arena and their associates can understand this.
Salary Structure of Media House
1.Let me begin by expressing my utmost worry about the salary structure of most Nigerian media houses, especially private ones. The nature of journalism’s job is full of stress, full of wahala, and unrewarding, but still, journalists are not being paid well, no motivation from the management, in some media organizations even the means of transportation is a problem. Only the media owners and some top officials enjoy with good salary structure and they don’t care about the welfare of junior ones who suffer most, because they are the ones who always go to the field and face all assaults from the government officials and the society.
2.Promotions and appointments are not always been done base on merit, credibility, merit, and hardworking but rather, base on a personal relationship with the principals.
3.The most important and interesting stories are the ones supported with brown envelopes, not the messages contained in them.
4.Some media houses principals engage in close relationships with some ladies for a reason best known to them (media principals).
5.Nepotism and chauvinism in numerous media houses encourages recruiting unprofessional journalist which lead to causing so many damages and scandalous things in the filing of a simple report be it in vernacular or in the official language (English)
6.Head of the political desk in most of the media houses are always loyal to the principals. Their salaries are not much but they wear expensive clothes, wristwatches, and caps, they drive expensive cars and operate the latest smartphones. In short, they run luxury lives. Where are they getting the money from? “Benefit of brown envelopes”
Advice
We should not criticize and publicize other people’s faults and cover ours just because we have the advantage of doing so.
All of us should be much more humble and contrite when we point the finger at somebody else because four more fingers are pointing back at us.
Nigeria Union of journalists described late colleague as dedicated ,urged the government to look after his family
Let’s know that the more a dog barks the more concerns and attention shall be given to it. So, the more you expose someone’s deficiencies the better people will analyze your social life.
Mahmud Garba Shawai is the Chairman North-West Awareness Foundation and can be reached on mahmudgarbashawai@gmail.com
