Journalists aren’t meant to be poor – CJID Board Chairman
By Prosper Okoye
The Chairman of the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Board stated in a recent conference held in Abuja that the call to practice journalism isn’t a call to poverty.
“When I decided to become a teacher and media practitioner, I told myself that I was not going to be poor and then put in more effort,” Prof. Umaru Pate said, and called on journalists to take advantage of the skills shared during the conference to equip themselves economically.
Most Nigerian traditional media organizations, especially the print media, cannot sustain print production due to meager revenue generation, while others are forced into extinction in recent times.
According to the Director-General of the Nigerian Press Council, Dili Ezughah, this situation has been compounded by the introduction of new media technology, where readers can access news for almost free. “The Press Council is disturbed by the situation, and we hope to find a workable strategy soon that will keep traditional media structures functioning,” he said.
CIJD Director of Programmes, Akintunde Babatunde, said the media must be protected, given the essential role it plays in Nigeria’s democracy. “The journalist has always spoken for others, but no one speaks for them,” he noted. However, he urged the mainstream media to utilize the opportunities provided by the new media to generate revenue and meet their obligation of paying salaries to their staff, including journalists, who he acknowledged as the most affected by the media downturn.
Daily Times Kaduna Correspondent, Gabriel Idibia, told the reporter that the economic vulnerability of journalists makes them an “easy prey to be clamped upon by the enemies of society.” Mr. Idibia was recently arrested and sent to prison for his report on the “poor condition” of the Kaduna State Hajj camp, even though the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Bamalli, had criticized the same.
CIJD Editor, Victoria Bamas, said the harsh conditions Nigerian journalists face make practicing the profession unattractive. “We have a situation where a large number of students graduate from journalism training schools but never go into practice,” she said.
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“The journalist who has found himself in this field must not rely solely on the salary of their media organization. Carving a niche in an area of journalism and exploring grant opportunities could assist the journalist in sustaining themselves. CJID website has these opportunities. The journalist must also be versatile and explore other areas they are skillful in,” she told the reporter in a telephone conversation.
Premium Times Managing Editor, Idris Akinbajo, noted that journalists must shift from the production of content with no value to the reader, while exploiting media technologies to create diversified content.
