The Owner pen and Mic
The Owner Pen and Mic.
By Romeon Okwo
Journalism is a beautiful profession even with its ceaseless dangers Practitioners are exposed to every time.
All over the globe,the essentiality's of this noble Profession cannot be situated only on the theorem of the "fourth estate of the realm"as today events had show that journalism can be used in nation building,cementing bridges between enemies lines,improve relations,create opportunities,Solicit cooperations and used as a ready-made-tools to enhance social equality among people apart from its primary roles.
In Nigeria,the media profession remain the only variable assets Nigerians had during the dark days of the Military as the Pen Profession win eventually all the tactical war's staged by the military against the inks soliders.
Not too long a ago, another battle line was draw between the media and the full benefactors of the media struggles,the eighth Assembly which try to used the sledge hammer with their gavel to regulate the new media,again the Mic and inks armies fought gallantly through the masses voices and that end the shameless fight against the Nigeria Paliament . It goes to show and tell all apparatus of the government that,the Media is an independent entity that cannot be cajole by any of its agent.
Although,Nigerians of good heart had invested much time,energy and money in building these noble profession,with the like of late Dele Giwa and co paying the supreme price to make sure the profession remain the dazzling of its kind,but over the time,keen observers will agreed that,such objectivity as demand by the profession had gradually elope the dreams and the hope of these great martyrs.
Big money bag politicians have taken over the air wave,they established Television,FM Radio stations and news paper houses across the length and breath of theirs interest lines.for the Radio and
Television stations,the owners are the voice behind the Microphones and in the Print,they are the owner-pen.Reporters only report what the owner of the media houses want to hear,where it is not their interest lines,it is no-go -area as most of the owners are just in business for a joke game.
No wonder,journalists only are given Identity card as meal ticket to fed for themselves.salaries to reporters are inconsequential by these organizations even those that tried to pay,pay a monthly salary in trenches.
It is not surprising, the place of investigating journalism in the country is gradually sleeping in it comatose,as some journalists are only relegated to events reporter by their media houses,as some of the organizations has shy away from agenda setting that will drive the process.for example, a journalist follow a minister to commission a project wroth about hundred million Naira as estimated by the Ministry and the reporter know well,what he saw on ground is not wroth such amount,the reporter come to his organization and file in same amount they had being given and interview the Minister and few key staffs of the ministry and he is done and never tried to question the actually estimate of such projects through his reportage.Most reporters can't not attempt this far because they fear their organization boss is having an interest with the top or they may not get their fair share of salaries they are never pay in their offices.
Just before the last general elections,we are witness how some big media houses in the country who strived on narrow objectivity with their reportage,personality were invited to their stations based on patronage and loyalty,questions were throw hard to perceived opposition invitee and response time even cut off by interjection by same presenter on a live national television and radio stations.
The role of the media as society watchdog as envisage by our popular anthem is fading,as "we"journalists only report what oiled our personal and organization interest.maybe it is the reason some members of the society don't respect us again,maybe it is the reason we have too many illness among our political leaders,captain of industry,celebrities,judicial officers,and others.
Of recent,the supervising arm of the government NBC decide to weight it mass on some of these organizations,an action that received mist reactions from Nigerians ,typically as people,we are always reactive, for most of us at time follow issues with passionate sediment that beclouded our judgements,it was also the same period that Austria government was also raking a newspaper house that play itself to the antics of the country political class.it is only in Nigeria that a media house will be fronting campaign against government as we seen in the trouble time of the insurgency when the government was doing all it could to make the terrorists clandestine video campaign irrelevant yet some Nigeria media houses promoted such video and even celebrated the terrorist headline whenever they created havoc.a situation where a media house perceived a terrorist more powerful than the armies of its country leave a sour taste in a question of patriotism .
The annoying thing,is that some of these media house owners have their kid and kin as directors,Programm Managers and senior administrators of the company.most of them lives flamboyant lives and never mind to pay the salaries of the reporters.and when cooperate governance is being err in their organization we expect the authority to turn a sleeping eyes because they play to our expectations.
While I m against any kind of censorship that make it difficult to press freedom,I m also an advocate for a responsive journalism where as Practitioners we also share the responsibility for the security of the society we operated.
While the APC led administration of PMB is doing it bit to secure the country totally free from the insurgencies and the lasted bandits uprise in the Northwest and others,it our responsibility as media practitioners to do all we can to bring the people solidarity to support this fight as we must first have a country to live,before we practiced.
By Romeon Okwo
Journalism is a beautiful profession even with its ceaseless dangers Practitioners are exposed to every time.
All over the globe,the essentiality's of this noble Profession cannot be situated only on the theorem of the "fourth estate of the realm"as today events had show that journalism can be used in nation building,cementing bridges between enemies lines,improve relations,create opportunities,Solicit cooperations and used as a ready-made-tools to enhance social equality among people apart from its primary roles.
In Nigeria,the media profession remain the only variable assets Nigerians had during the dark days of the Military as the Pen Profession win eventually all the tactical war's staged by the military against the inks soliders.
Not too long a ago, another battle line was draw between the media and the full benefactors of the media struggles,the eighth Assembly which try to used the sledge hammer with their gavel to regulate the new media,again the Mic and inks armies fought gallantly through the masses voices and that end the shameless fight against the Nigeria Paliament . It goes to show and tell all apparatus of the government that,the Media is an independent entity that cannot be cajole by any of its agent.
Although,Nigerians of good heart had invested much time,energy and money in building these noble profession,with the like of late Dele Giwa and co paying the supreme price to make sure the profession remain the dazzling of its kind,but over the time,keen observers will agreed that,such objectivity as demand by the profession had gradually elope the dreams and the hope of these great martyrs.
Big money bag politicians have taken over the air wave,they established Television,FM Radio stations and news paper houses across the length and breath of theirs interest lines.for the Radio and
Television stations,the owners are the voice behind the Microphones and in the Print,they are the owner-pen.Reporters only report what the owner of the media houses want to hear,where it is not their interest lines,it is no-go -area as most of the owners are just in business for a joke game.
No wonder,journalists only are given Identity card as meal ticket to fed for themselves.salaries to reporters are inconsequential by these organizations even those that tried to pay,pay a monthly salary in trenches.
It is not surprising, the place of investigating journalism in the country is gradually sleeping in it comatose,as some journalists are only relegated to events reporter by their media houses,as some of the organizations has shy away from agenda setting that will drive the process.for example, a journalist follow a minister to commission a project wroth about hundred million Naira as estimated by the Ministry and the reporter know well,what he saw on ground is not wroth such amount,the reporter come to his organization and file in same amount they had being given and interview the Minister and few key staffs of the ministry and he is done and never tried to question the actually estimate of such projects through his reportage.Most reporters can't not attempt this far because they fear their organization boss is having an interest with the top or they may not get their fair share of salaries they are never pay in their offices.
Just before the last general elections,we are witness how some big media houses in the country who strived on narrow objectivity with their reportage,personality were invited to their stations based on patronage and loyalty,questions were throw hard to perceived opposition invitee and response time even cut off by interjection by same presenter on a live national television and radio stations.
The role of the media as society watchdog as envisage by our popular anthem is fading,as "we"journalists only report what oiled our personal and organization interest.maybe it is the reason some members of the society don't respect us again,maybe it is the reason we have too many illness among our political leaders,captain of industry,celebrities,judicial officers,and others.
Of recent,the supervising arm of the government NBC decide to weight it mass on some of these organizations,an action that received mist reactions from Nigerians ,typically as people,we are always reactive, for most of us at time follow issues with passionate sediment that beclouded our judgements,it was also the same period that Austria government was also raking a newspaper house that play itself to the antics of the country political class.it is only in Nigeria that a media house will be fronting campaign against government as we seen in the trouble time of the insurgency when the government was doing all it could to make the terrorists clandestine video campaign irrelevant yet some Nigeria media houses promoted such video and even celebrated the terrorist headline whenever they created havoc.a situation where a media house perceived a terrorist more powerful than the armies of its country leave a sour taste in a question of patriotism .
The annoying thing,is that some of these media house owners have their kid and kin as directors,Programm Managers and senior administrators of the company.most of them lives flamboyant lives and never mind to pay the salaries of the reporters.and when cooperate governance is being err in their organization we expect the authority to turn a sleeping eyes because they play to our expectations.
While I m against any kind of censorship that make it difficult to press freedom,I m also an advocate for a responsive journalism where as Practitioners we also share the responsibility for the security of the society we operated.
While the APC led administration of PMB is doing it bit to secure the country totally free from the insurgencies and the lasted bandits uprise in the Northwest and others,it our responsibility as media practitioners to do all we can to bring the people solidarity to support this fight as we must first have a country to live,before we practiced.
Comments
Post a Comment