Journalism in Nigera; Myths and Realities

Journalism has been described as the practise of investigating and reporting events to the mass audience of print and electronic media.What stands a good report out is the truth value and timeliness of such a report.These are two characteristics of a news item that journalist the world over battle to have inherent in their reportage,even at the risk of their lives.

"Journalism, like other professions, has direct impact on the citizenry and the society at large. Practitioners are expected to be guided by a code of conduct which members are expected to comply with strictly, and to be enforced by a body acceptable to all the stakeholders. However, journalism practice in Nigeria has raised a lot of questions as to the proprietary of referring to it as a profession. The loose definition of the criteria for membership has made the profession an all-comers-affair. Also, the absence of a prescribed qualifying test has made it difficult to moderate the standard of journalism practice in Nigeria. To restore credibility to the profession, the gap between school curricula and journalism practice must be bridged. A revisit to the existing code of conduct to explicitly state those who can practice journalism in Nigeria is necessary. Also, an acceptable remuneration package comparable with other professions must be worked out." This quote by Tokunbo Alex Adaja sets the tone for this article which seeks to weigh the profession and its practise in Nigeria.

Journalism ,like any other profession in Nigeria,has a myriad of challenges that has bedeviled it.Some of them include but not limited to, relevant legislations, public morality,objectivity and corruption(yes corruption!!). These challenges could be broadly categorised into external and internal challenges. The entrance of quacks and half-baked practitioners in the profession has gone a long way to water down the core values and tenets of the profession. Furthermore,legislations like decree 11 of 1976,decree 4 of 1984 and the Newspaper Act of 1964 went a long way to gag the profession,though unsuccessfully. In addition, proprietorial interest and self-censorship has also influenced reportage in the profession as owners of media houses and reporters have friends and associates who they would not want their reports and write-ups to injure. This simply means that the truth is kept away from the public due to overiding personal interest. The security challenges in the nation has also posed a serious obstacle to the efficiency of journalist as lives are now put on risk in order to get information.

However,in the face of these challenges,journalism in Nigeria has braved the odds and is still holding on to its role as "the fourth estate of the realm" , though there is serious room for improvement. NUJ should embark on what I will term "self-purification" of its Members and their activities. Members who go against their code of conduct should be sanctioned accordingly. Also, journalist should be proactive enough to verify their news item before going to the press as what "has been published cannot be unpublished." The NUJ should seek for ways to partner with the National Assembly to enact laws that provide the enabling environment for the practise of the profession in Nigeria. Since journalists are watchdogs who "bark" at social ills, the NUJ must make sure they watch its own "dogs" to guard against unwarranted "dogbites" in our society.

This article was written by Idorenyin Umoh. For comments,criticisms and observations,call 07063255897 or email umohidy@gmail.com, idorenyinu@2479ja.tv