Again, BBC proves that the so-called mainstream media in Nigeria are not better than Linda Ikeji blog. Press statement journalism where the publishers are only interested in how much they make each month and not how society could be transformed and enlightened and wrong doers brought to book.
The rave of the moment by BBC would strike fear in the hearts of those academic terrorists in the universities.
We have ThisDay, Punch, Guardian, Channels TV but they came and ended codeine crisis for us. Premium Times, etc funded by international donors are latching on the story to form Jack Bauer. Hehehe.
It is in this same country that Bomb goes off in Borno State and punch would break the news citing AFP. Hehehe. WSJ came and opened our eyes to the reality of 1000 soldiers buried secretly. The Dapchi girls abduction was first reported by AFP. Then the rest started forming John Rambo on the story.
But do I blame the journalists? They’re pauperised while they are asked to chase press releases. I mean, sensible people know that AFP, WSJ make use of those NGOs in North East, especially their foreign staff as lead. They get the feelers from the locals due to their work. The Army is only realising that now and shutting some of them down. These NGOs spend more than 10 billion feeding the IDPs monthly. So they’re trusted with information.
The claims by the military that they are working with the insurgents, that’s why they are shutting them down is shallow. The army simply wants to control information dissemination.
Which journos in Nigeria working for those una mainstream whatever Live comfortably on their salaries? The poorer you become, the better so you can chase more press releases. There is enough distraction due to struggle to meet up financially.
Those bureau chiefs here either wait for Simeon Nwakaudu, Nnamdi Omoni or the guys at NDDC to issue releases so they can send to their editors in Lagos and that’s all they will do for the day. Do I blame them? No. Leave the work and chase adverts. The more money you bring through adverts, you get your 10 percent, the happier everyone becomes or you die poor.
I will always say it and will continue to say it that African is not ready and won’t be ready even in 50 years time. Our stories will continue to be told by the west.
I mean, which vibrant media house in Africa can rival Aljazeera, CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters? Aljazeera is just 10 years old. See where they are, telling you perfect stories of that gulf country.
Here, quantity is all that matters and not quality. Media houses publish news but do not help the readers to understand them.
I was reading Reuters report on what people read globally. No Nigeria media house was cited. Just a few in South Africa and that was all.
Now, the so-called mainstream guys get stories from Instablog or from some local blogs and rewrite their stories and send to editors. The rest come from NAN, a government’s mouthpiece. So how then do you hold government to account?
Sex for marks have been with us for decades but for BBC, there is trembling in the universities.
Who has gone to Umuechem to talk to survivors of that military mayhem? How about Ogoniland? Fegalo Nsuke said at least 50 persons die monthly from drinking contaminated water in Gokana coastal communities. Which media house has provided funds for journos to go tell the story of the people there? We’re waiting for BBC. Jokers. Washington Post had to come and document Shiittes massacre.
I will leave you with a revelation. Last year, there was a sporting event in Ilorin. Rivers State contingent revolted due to non-payment of allowances. All the journalists who followed the contingent to that competition, about 8 of them were asked to kill the story. Which they did and no one heard about it.
To conquer a people, keep them poor. They will be so engrossed in trying to survive that they lose all forms of initiative and dignity.
The Nigerian media space is a conquered territory where Premium Times breaks news off a story done by BBC, a story that has been staring them in the face every day.
90 percent of what you read on the pages of Nigerian newspapers are press releases or what the government wants you to hear, not what you need to hear. The rest come from NAN and Instablog.
Leave a Reply