By Lekan Otufodunrin
One of the virtual events for the celebration of my 56th birthday was a tweet chat on Media and Post-COVID-19 realities.
Like every other sector, the media has not been spared of the negative impact of the coronavirus that will definitely redefine the future of the industry.
Below are my responses to the questions during the chat along with other speakers, Editor-in-Chief of Opera News, Bayo Olupohunda and General Manager, MEGA 89.1 FM, Ejiro Umukoro and moderator, Executive Director of CEEHOPE, Betty Abbah.
Journalists as frontline actors
We are and should be proud of ourselves and colleagues who are making lots of sacrifices to keep us informed and aware of what the situation is.
Journalists have been on duty all through the lockdown and risking a lot, including being exposed to getting infected and all kinds of psychological trauma.
They have been providing comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the pandemic and other necessary insights of how people can cope. They have been helping to checkmate fake news and demystifying myths.
They have been helping to galvanize support for the needy and vulnerable in our society and keeping government on its toes to rise up to the occasion.
Our information gathering and dissemination role is so crucial and complementary to the success of the role of others involved in helping to find solutions and checkmate the spread.
Losses incurred
Notwithstanding that we are in the frontline, our industry is one of the hardest hit. Patronage of the print, for example, has declined drastically due to the lockdown and restriction of movement. It’s more difficult to circulate the publications despite being able to move around.
Generally, the revenue from advertisement which is the main source of media revenue has reduced as only a few companies are advertising. People are accessing broadcast and online content but there is no commensurate advertising to sustain the organisations for long.
COVID-19 has become an existential threat to the survival of the media as many media executives have disclosed and lots of cost-cutting measures have been announced. They include pay cut, forced leave, the sack of journalists and shut down of some services.
Survival strategies
Our problems have always been there based on the poor economy and digital disruptions, but have been complicated by COVID-19. There is a need for an urgent review of our operations. We must admit the dire state we are and cut our losses as much as possible to enable us to continue to remain on-air, online or on the streets.
There is a need for better deployment of staff and reviewed the production process that is digital-based.
There should be better communication of the true situation to staff for them to understand why the staff strength may no longer be realistic and the sacrifices that will be required by all.
Frequency of publication and airtime may also need to be reviewed to cut the cost of production.
There may be a need to take advantage of funding support locally and internationally. The media can ask for waivers from the government on some imported materials.
Hard decisions may be taken on the mode of dissemination of content.
Opportunities
There are local and international support for the media at this time. Local and international NGOs are offering training to understand the new disease better and to help in reporting the crucial issues better.
Journalists should participate especially as there is a COVID-19 angle to every beat and this is not only about health. International Press Centre (IPC) has launched an Advisory which is a very helpful resource for journalists. It has also held webinars. There are many others available online
There are also grants for media organisations. Locally, The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism has offered support for some journalists in its network. There are relief grants and people need to study to know how to apply for them.
The quality of our content will also earn journalists some recognition now and when the crisis is over.
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