The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Journalism

  • Fuelling the fire: Journalism and Boko Haram

    SIR: When Paul Collier, the professor of Economics at the Oxford University wrote in his book “Wars, Guns & Votes – Democracy in Dangerous Places”, not a few development media journalists criticized him for indulging in illicit generalization about the problems of insecurity in Africa especially considering the tripartite roles of civil unrest manifesting in wars, weapons and the elusive pursuit of peace through democratic practices.

    But Africa is indeed a hotbed of crisis. And Nigeria is living up to the calling as the battleground. The nation has been in the news across major news outlets around the world; providing daily items for the media with nothing short of bad advertisements for the continent in reports (often contrived) of insurgency and the perceived failure of the security agencies to repeal these attacks. While the nation groans under the threat of insecurity, politicians are busy perfecting their acts and strategies to win the elections either by “rigging” or “shifting” of the elections; and the media busy feeding on all sorts from rumours to outright falsehoods.

    Reports on threats of Boko Haram especially in the run up to the general elections have dominated the media. Almost half of every news bulletin on Nigerian television stations is dedicated to stories on Boko Haram. Newspapers sell more with screaming banner headlines announcing Boko Haram exploits or rarely of the bravery of our soldiers as Chris Olukolade or the Defence Headquarters would want; radio is not any better. A very common but disturbing practice is the undue publicity given to the dreaded group with every video. Every time Boko Haram releases videos, the newsrooms go crazy; feasting over it; some even broadcast their videos end-to-end thereby directly aiding the group to push its deadly agenda. No censorship. No sense of responsibility to the society and the Nigerian state.

    Real news informs and enlightens. It should not, in and of itself, incite or propel negative responses. Not for a nation in dire need of responsible and development-oriented journalism like Nigeria. News should lead to rational response and reason, not reactionary impulse. What Boko Haram is doing and promoting through its media, is evil and unconscionable to the lowest imaginable. From the abduction of Chibok girls to videos of treasonable speeches; the news that the captives were being sold and used as suicide bombers provides the information from which we can form a reasonable response. The showing of the actual videos promotes only the most reactionary of responses; it stoops to the level of Boko Haram and moves us backward, instead of forward.

    Journalists would therefore do our society more good by adhering to the time tested principle of sieving through information for public consumption. And there are criteria for this. A key criteria is: Boko Haram wants us to show it. If Boko Haram wants you to show something, you should start with the principle of ‘How can we avoid doing that?’ Sometimes you can’t, because it’s editorially a key part of the story. But in this case, we can if we want to.

    • Adedeji Ajayi,

     TVC News, Lagos

  • Scholars seek review of journalism curriculum

    Scholars seek review of journalism curriculum

    A group of scholars and journalists have called for a review of the training curriculum of journalism and mass communication to include conflict reporting.

    At a consultative forum hosted by the Department of Mass Communication of the Covenant University (CU) last Friday, they said Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast has exposed the gap in the training of journalists in covering conflicts.

    They, therefore, called for a review of the curriculum used in journalism schools.  They also underscored the need for re-training of practicing journalists in this area and in the coverage of this month’s general elections.

    A communiqué signed by the participants stated: “We observe that journalists face numerous challenges in covering the 2015 elections and the unfolding insurgency.  We, therefore, recommend enhanced, coordinated and inclusive training of communication practitioners; a review of the curriculum on mass communication and journalism, with specific consideration for the introduction of special courses on conflict reporting.”

    The forum also called for a review of the entry requirements into the profession, which is currently a high school diploma.  They argued that to defend their call for improved welfare for journalists, those employed should be adequately qualified.

    Other recommendations by the participants included the need for improved welfare and security for journalists; the need to tell Nigerian and African stories from local perspective; regulation of hate speech; verification of information on the social media and the need to strengthen professional ethics of journalism.

    Regarding security, they called on the government and the society to provide security for journalists in the course of their assignments.

    They said: “In order to ensure the protection of journalists, media organisations and security agencies should collaborate to ensure the safety of journalists in the course of their assignments; members of the public should contribute to the protection of journalists on duty; media owners should urgently enhance the provision of insurance packages for all journalists; journalists operating in high risk security zones should be covered by life insurance.  They should also be well remunerated.”

    On ethics, they recommended public enlightenment about the existing code of ethics, sanctions for erring journalists and media houses that violate the principles and a review of the journalism/mass communication training curriculum to capture conflict reporting.

    Convener of the forum, Prof Cecil Blake of the Mass Communication Department, CU,  said the forum was organised to help the media to play its role appropriately in building the society.

    “If you look at what in African countries, whenever there are elections, there is automatic tension.  The fourth estate has been guilty in creating aspects of that tension.  The concern is to ascertain that the media, both practitioners and owners, should really work towards the promotion of social cohesion in a nation rather than contribute to its collapse.  And elections have the tendency to provoke that,” he said.

    Participants at the consultative meeting were drawn from the Department of Mass Communication of the university as well as the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), represented by Prof Danjuma Gambo of the University of Maiduguri; Association of Communication Scholars and Practitioners of Nigeria (ACSPN), represented by Prof Nosa Owens-Ibie and Dr Odion Odibo; and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), represented by Mr Demiji Kayode-Adedeji, Mr Dele Atunbi, and Mr Kunle Idowu.

    Meanwhile, a professor of political science at the CU, Kunle Amuwo, has underscored the need for the Nigerian state to be the centre of public welfare.

    Amuwo, who delivered the 39th Public Lecture of the university, said doing so would end corruption and other vices.

    Speaking on the topic: “Bullet Versus Ballot: Interrogating Nigeria’s 4th Republic’s Electoral Consultations”, he said: “The most critical political struggle in the aftermath of the forthcoming polls – irrespective of the party that wins at the centre and the presidency – should be centred on bringing the state back into the public sphere and space where it really belongs.  Why we are where we are today, with all the shenanigans of the political elite the Nigerian people routinely put up with, is because the Nigerian state ceased long ago…to be a public agency that gives happiness and welfare to Nigerians.”

    The university’s  Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Ayo Charles, urged Nigerians to choose the ballot over the bullet – just as the Israelites were admonished to choose life over death in the Bible.

     

  • Nexus between politics, journalism

    Over the years, society has shown the curious interconnection between two major aspects of:  politics and journalism. There has been a mysterious link between the duo for a very long time. Many struggled and wished to stay at one end of both ropes, but such attempts seemed futile. Several people have crossed the boundary, dangling between both paths more than once. It is rather obvious that there is a clear firewall between two professions. There seem to be a very thin boundary, or perhaps, a reflective door in the firewall, such that with time, politicians and journalists cross the line  changing roles and moving from side to side. When they cross, there is somewhat complete attainment of different characters, thus, journalists have a shaky responsibility.

    As a direct consequence, it can be argued that there is nothing wrong with a journalist making on a foray into politics. However, it becomes knotty when a journalist aims to campaign while reporting. Otherwise, we get caught up in biased judgements.

    Today, the elites are often not comfortable with the media, and in the same vein, the media look at the government with contempt whenever its freedom is tampered with. The super-powers are often in war with reporters; and the reason for this is the suspicion that a free press could lionise an ordinary citizen to an extent of causing a shift in power base. This assumption, is erroneous in journalism.

    The most important attribute can be linked to efforts of antediluvian journalists cum politicians such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo and others, who all cut their first teeth in journalism before joining politics.

    The provision of Section 22 of 1999 Constitution confers the freedom of press on Nigerian media. It reads inter-alia: “the press, radio, television and other agencies of mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.”  This particular provision relates to all media practitioners and press outfits throughout the Federal republic of Nigeria. It also grants private individuals the power to run their own press outfits or consolidate the government-owned. In this regard, the media remains the sole watchdog of the three components of the government, to wit; executive, judiciary and the legislature.

    In a nutshell, the nexus between journalism and politics is divergent. Thus, there has been a growing case of symbiotic relationship between the two. For better outcome, all concerned parties need to define their responsibilities and maintain their niche without transgressing same.

     

    •Aminat, 400-Level Chemistry, UNILORIN

  • ‘Journalism is my passion’

    ‘Journalism is my passion’

    Journalism has never been interesting as it is at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Neonatar, a media outfit founded less than six months ago by Joshua Igba, a final year Chemical Engineering student, has grown from a press board to a campus-wide publication. Joshua shares his success story with CALEB ADEBAYO (500-Level Law).

    What inspired you to start Neonatar Press Agency?

    I felt there was need to engage students in intellectual discussion on events on the campus. I wanted to increase the tempo of community media and journalism. And we have been doing just that. Our aim is to make the campus an informed community by making information available to all. We also educate and entertain students with refreshing reading experience.

    But, you are not a journalism student…

    Well, that is not a requisite in today’s world. But then, my practising journalism today is accidental. As a pupil in high school, I was the best in my class all through. I was chosen as a senior prefect and even won a bronze medal in International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO). Then, I felt I could only do medicine or engineering. Along the line, my passion for media surfaced.

    Do you have passion for what you do now?

    I am already into media. I will make it a full-time thing after I complete my first degree, which is just four months away. The first degree is enough for me to make a debut into the world of journalism. I have passion for the profession. I just want to be a university graduate of Chemical Engineering, but journalism will be my practice.

    What are your plans for Neonatar after school?

    We are planning to introduce the publication to other tertiary institutions. We want to have our radio station, which is why we have been looking for investors. We are shifting our offline experience to the online market place. We also want to start an online television. We want to establish an award to celebrate young Africans making changes in fashion, entertainment and entrepreneurship.

    Why the name ‘Neonatar’ and not the commonly-used media name?

    The name ‘Neonatar’ is unique. To me, it means appealing vision because I saw the name in a vision when I was 17 years old and it was appealing to me.

    Do you think the name also appealed to your reader?

    Yes. Neonatar boards are ubiquitous at the most strategic spots on campus. We get thousands of people reading our materials every week. We have won a number of awards, including the Best Media Outfit, Media Outfit of the Year, Best Startup, Largest Coverage, Most Popular Campus Media, Most Enterprising Media and Best Press Team, among others.

    What has been your motivation?

    In the beginning, it was faith in God, because the idea was new and strange but a huge capital had gone into it. After two months, success came our way from every direction. Success is basically our motivation.

    You will leave the school in the next four months, do you have a handing over plan?

    We are battling with putting structures in place for transition and continuity. We have contacted a project management outfit within the campus to assist us with this.

    What role is Neonatar playing towards the coming general elections?

    We have been sensitising students and other members of the university about their rights in the election and how they should conduct themselves. We would love to go round during political campaign to educate people about their roles in the election.

     

  • Somali journalist shot dead

    A Somali Journalist, Abririsak Abdi, 26, has been shot dead late on Tuesday in Galkayo, the northern part of the country.

    According to Colleagues and witnesses on Wednesday in Mogadishu, Abdi, a London-based television station journalist, was shot by two masked men while sitting with colleagues in a cafeteria in Galkayo, in the semi-autonomous Puntland region.

    It was further reported that the killers escaped and that Abdi’s killing makes the third reporter to be killed in Somalia this year.

    The Somali Police, however, opined that the radical Islamist group al-Shabaab could be behind the killing.

    Colleagues and hundreds of local residents attended Abdi’s funeral on Wednesday.

    The National Union of Somali Journalists condemned the “cold-blooded murder” and urged the authorities to punish the killers.

    Earlier this year, a journalist was shot dead and another was killed in a car bombing in Mogadishu and police are still investigating the crime.

    Global media watchdog groups consider Somalia as one of the world’s most dangerous countries to work as a journalist. In 2012, 18 journalists were killed, followed by seven in 2013.

    Attackers have targeted journalists who wrote about al-Shabaab or about clan rivalries in the country. (NAN)

  • Impact Journalism Day: 40 newspapers share stories about initiatives for positive change

    Impact Journalism Day: 40 newspapers share stories about initiatives for positive change

    Day after day, the news confronts us with the world’s troubles. This constant reminder can make us anxious, afraid—or even worse, anesthetized.

    But now more than ever, citizens, companies, universities, and organizations are developing new ways to solve humanity’s problems. We are witnessing an outpouring of social innovation and social businesses around the planet.

    The job of the press is to keep us informed. And yet the time has passed when the media’s greatest impact came essentially from « turning the pen in the wound, » as the great French journalist Albert Londres once wrote. Increasingly, reporters want to contribute to the common good by writing about solutions, thereby amplifying their effects and creating a sense of hope.

    Nearly 40leading newspapers from all over the world— including The Nation—joined our effort and are publishing supplements dedicated to innovative solutions. Each paper contributed one or more original articles, then chose what to publish from the 100 or so stories we assembled. In a few days their editors in chief will gather in Paris to and discuss ways to take this project even further.

    Last year on Impact Journalism Day, a woman in Singapore read an article about adjustable eyeglasses that could correct more than half of the world’s vision problems for only US $4 a pair. She showed the article to her husband, an executive at a multinational lens manufacturer. He contacted the inventors, and now they are collaborating on a pilot project in India that could improve the lives of millions.

    This is the kind of impact we set out to achieve.

    Today, you are one of 100 million readers discovering our stories of hope. Imagine if every reader shared these stories with those around them. Choose one and tell it to your children, your colleagues, your friends. Become a part of the movement by motivating others.

    There is more you can do to promote solution-based journalism. Take part in our « selfie » contest by posting a photo of yourself and this newspaper via Twitter (#ImpactJournalism and add the # of your newspaper) or the Facebook page of our founding partner, AXA (facebook.com/AXAPeopleProtectors).

    Help the innovators and entrepreneurs in these stories to overcome the challenges they face by joining a brainstorming session (www.sparknews.com/ijd/makesense).

    And feel free to suggest projects we might consider for next year’s Impact Journalism Day (http://www.sparknews.com/ijd).

    We hope you enjoy today’s edition!

  • I have great respect for journalism— Ajimobi

    I have great respect for journalism— Ajimobi

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has said that he has great respect for the journalism profession, describing the practitioners as the conscience of the nation.

    The governor stated this on Thursday evening while hosting members of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) who were at the Government House to break fast with him.

    “I want to use this occasion to say that I have great respect for the journalism profession. It is a noble profession. Besides, the constructive criticisms always being offered by journalists have helped tremendously in entrenching good governance and ensuring a better society,” he said.

    Governor Ajimobi particularly commended the media practitioners in the state for their cooperation and support for his administration, describing them as partners in progress.

    He said that the modest achievements so far recorded by his administration would not have been possible, if not for the focused government his administration runs and the friendly disposition of the journalists operating in the state without necessarily compromising the ethics of their profession.

    The governor said that his administration would continue to treat them with great respect, particularly for not allowing themselves to be unnecessarily influenced by the enemies of the society.

    He said that his administration decided to embark on urban renewal programme and environmental sanitation, having tackled the security problem which it inherited from the immediate past administration.

    Governor Ajimobi expressed satisfaction that the urban renewal and the environmental sanitation programme of his government had succeeded in changing the environmental landscape of the state and its hitherto typecast as one of the dirtiest states in the country.

    In their separate addresses, the state NUJ Chairman, Mr. Gbenga Opadotun, and NAWOJ Chairperson, Mrs. Adekiitan Adeagbo, commended Governor Ajimobi for the restoration of peace and security which had eluded the state prior to the emergence of his administration.

    They also expressed satisfaction with the performance of the governor so far, saying that he had not disappointed the people of the state.

  • Protest rocks Journalism Institute

    Protest rocks Journalism Institute

    The protest took the management by surprise but students of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Ogba, Lagos, were determined to register their displeasure. They protested what they called “abnormal treatment” meted out to their colleagues by the school authorities.

    The protest, which was held in the premises of the institution last Tuesday, followed management’s decision to stop some students from writing their exams because of the damage they caused to the school’s solar panel in March this year.

    The school authority had ordered the affected students to pay N66,389 for the damages, adding that failure to follow the directive could cause them to fail the course and get extra year.

    The affected students were Emmanuel Bassey, National Diploma (ND) II and Michael Okunnu, Higher National Diploma (HND) 1.

    Chairman of the Students’ Representative Council, Matthew Ojebola, described the management’s action as unfair, claiming that it was out of place to treat the students unjustly after paying for maintenance and caution fees.

    The examination, which was to commence 10:00a.m was rescheduled for 3:00p.m as the Provost of the Institute, Mrs Elizabeth Ikem, listened to the demands of the students, allowing the affected students access to write the exam.

  • Reinventing Journalism in Nigeria

    In 1984, I was an intern in the defunct National Concord newspapers.

    The three -months plus experience in many ways prepared me for what has turned out to be my long sojourn in journalism which from every indication will not end soon.

    However, one aspect of my journalism career which  I intend to give more attention is media career development.

    Over the years, I have benefitted from one form of media career  initiative or the other and  I feel a compelling need to scale up my work in this area.

    While many other professional groups are making conscious efforts to develop the capacity of their members with organised structures for continuos education on the job  and career support, not enough is being done in the media.

    Right from media training institutions for those who have the opportunity to attend one,  to the various media houses there is a yearning gap for the implementation of well articulated media industry relevant training and career support for journalists.

    I acknowledge that there are indeed some efforts being made but what we need is a coordinated approach to ensuring that journalists are well trained in media training institutions. That some Mass Communication students graduate these days don’t have what it takes to work in a media house is a reflection of the quality of training they are getting and how obsolete the curriculum is.

    There is need for a well defined working relationship between media training institutions and media organisations. If the graduates are being produced to work in media organisations, the training institutions should work with the employers to produce the right quality of graduates.

    This will be possible if the lecturers regularly upgrade their knowledge and also observe part of their sabbatical in media houses. Journalism is a practical job and only those who have practiced the art can effectively teach and inspire young graduates to become outstanding journalists.

    Media organisations and individuals should show more than passing interest in helping to train up-coming journalists. We should volunteer to teach some courses.

    Won’t it be nice if during the Nigerian Union of Journalists, week observed annually members visit media training institutions and teach for some hours on various courses and give the students the benefit of their experience.

    Nigeria media training instructions should also learn from the model in many developed countries where they have Media Career Services department manned by professionals who guide and mentor the students throughout their course and stay in touch with them after graduation.

    Beyond the initial certification, the dynamic nature of media work requires that there should be regular on -the- job – training for journalists based on need assessment of the various category of staff.

    I dare say that regular training is not a top agenda, if it is at all, of most media organisations in the country. We are so focused on the daily round of production that we think that regular training is a distraction. It is said that insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting a change. It is no surprise that in some instances we can’t claim to be making much progress beyond the technology.

    I don’t know how many media houses budget or training of their staff. Some media houses have training managers, but in some instances such positions are ‘Siberia’ postings, if you know what I mean.

    My experience is that we have largely abandoned training of journalists to Media Non Governmental Organisations, who understandably have their own agenda and focus. NGO trainings unfortunately do not cover many area of media coverage. Most times, they are in the areas of health, human rights and a few others.

    Surprisingly,  even when free trainings are organised for journalists, some managers are either not interested in allowing their staff to attend or the journalists themselves don’t take maximum advantage of the opportunities.

    One possible excuse which is even not tenable is lack of funds since many media organisations are finding it difficult to pay salaries, but how do we explain that we employ young journalists and don’t give them basic orientation like it’s done in other sectors.

    The defunct Daily Times had a training School for new and old staff. Radio Nigeria still has a training school in Lagos which I am not sure has the capacity to meet the demands of modern broadcasting. There is also the old TV College in Jos.

    By now we should have had more training schools better equipped, better staff to cater for the boom in the media industry.

    While media organisations have the obligations to train their staff, individual journalists as professionals should also invest in their own career. Our career is about our life and the progress we make should not be limited by only the support we get from our media houses.

    Journalists should like other professionals take personal responsibility for to become better on their job. If artisans buy their tools, I don’t know why some journalists will refuse to buy simple gadgets to improve on their productivity and wait for their employers to buy for them.,

    I am not aware that employers pay for most ICAN, NIPR,APCON courses that that staff are supposed to acquire, yet the concern staff dutifully enroll for the courses.

    Using  the popular definition of Public Relations,  journalists should have a deliberate planned and sustained career plan. We should have a mission statement and goal.

    A career is like a journey and unless it is planned it will be an aimless one than will amount to nothing no matter how long we are on the job. Like someone said, if you don’t know where you are going, everywhere you get to we look like your destination.

    For too long many of us have carried on as if we are engaged in a lesser profession or even a trade which some claim journalism is. Journalism and other media work is too important for any professional to be a mediocre.

    It is not difficult to have structured programmes for continuos education for as many journalists as possible. What the industry leaders need is the will and the commitment to provide an enabling environment to improve the cavity of journalists.

    The task to reinvent journalism practice in Nigeria is a task that must be urgently done and we all have individual and collective roles to play.

    Excepts from my 50th Birthday lecture on May 9, 2014

  • ‘I’m inspired by the need to give Nigerians a voice’

    ‘I’m inspired by the need to give Nigerians a voice’

    Canada-based Nigerian, Ngozi Ugoh, is the proud publisher of NIGERIAN CANADIAN NEWS, a Nigerian community newspaper that has chronicled Nigerian interest news and culture in Canada for seven years. Taiwo Abiodun caught up with her during her recent visit to Nigeria, where she bared her mind on journalism and publishing in a foreign land, and what has kept her going.

    HOW did you get into publishing a Nigerian newspaper in Canada? What motivated you?

    To start with, I left Nigeria for Canada in December 1986. I had a background in banking, having worked with the Bank of Commerce and Industry in Nigeria before leaving. In Canada, I became a publisher; I started a Canadian-Nigerian Business Directory but because of immigration, family and other factors, I was unable to continue.

    So I decided to go into health care. I specialised in children that are challenged.

    But being one who has a passion for information dissemination and believes strongly that we should be writing about ourselves, I started this journalism stuff. Prior to that, a lot had been written about Nigerians in the mainstream newspapers over there (Canada); I had also seen several other African newspapers, but we as a people didn’t have our own outlet. It was the same reason that made me start the business directory; but I only published three editions before starting the Canadian-Nigerian News, also known as The Third Eye Of The Community. At the moment, it is the only Nigerian newspaper in Canada. Earlier, I had gone to college to study healthcare and now I am studying Political Science at York University, as well as taking an RN programme (Registered Nurse).

    What’s your print-run like and why exactly did you venture into it?

    Let me start by saying that ethnic papers don’t sell. It’s usually given out free, so it’s not something you can depend on to survive. You have to have another job. I considered all these before I ventured into it. I print about 10, 500copies every fortnight and before you know it, Nigerians and non Nigerians would have exhausted them. I have Socials, Editorials, Children Section, Arts and Life stories, Sports, Feature stories, articles written by popular columnists and what have you. All these made the newspaper very attractive because of the quality of its contents. So many factors made me start the paper, but paramount is interest. If you don’t have the interest and passion for it, you cannot go into it. If it is because of money, then you have missed it. Before I started the newspaper, would you believe that a Ghanaian guy wanted to start publishing a Nigerian newspaper? But I raised my voice and said ‘this is wrong.’ How could a non-Nigerian be writing about our country? What would I tell my children in the future? How will I stand to defend it? So I said no way. I gathered money and started publishing. Now it is seven years old and it is the only Nigerian newspaper in Canada and thriving.

    There have been talks about online media taking over from newsprint; what’s your take on this?

    It all depends on your audience. Your market and audience matter a lot. For us over there, we have easy access to all the news online, but people also don’t have the time. Most of what you read there are not really for our people (Nigerians); they are for the general public. So what we put in our paper is what will interest our people. We have thousands of Nigerians who really love to hear from home and want to read and have the hard copy. I understand that one popular international magazine has gone back to printing, which it earlier stopped; that is the power of hard copy. We all need it. The electronic online cannot really have that impact. That is why the government over there encourages us. The Indian community has over 50 ethnic newspapers; Ghanaians have only one, while we (Nigerians) didn’t have until I started mine. I learnt some Nigerians tried it but couldn’t survive, but this is my seventh year of publishing.

    So how do you make money if the newspaper is not profitable?

    That’s why I told you earlier that I work all night. At times, I get bored. As I said earlier, when my paper is running late, I get calls to remind me that they have not seen it, and this is what motivates me. The proceeds from the adverts are peanuts while some adverts, especially those placed by Nigerians, don’t get paid for. But the County or Government of Canada pay when they place adverts; they do this to encourage us. Thank God I have another job that earns me money to keep the paper going. It’s not easy to distribute in the winter, but my kids help. And when they owe you on advert, you don’t want to take them to court because it is in community. Also, I don’t carry bad news; what I try to do is portray my community, show the good sides and inform people about our food, culture, fashion. We have sports, we have marriage issues and we get

    feedback from the public.

    Tell us of your challenges.

    First, I would say my paper is among the best newspaper around; it has some glossy pages for socials, but very expensive. I know a popular Nigerian magazine that is all glossy, sold in Canada but they stopped because it is expensive. It is not easy but the Canadian people like to encourage us by placing adverts. If they have issues, they would call us and pay us to cover their conference. We have access to all the Canadian government officials but it is a different story with Nigerian officials who visit Canada. To see the Nigerian High Commissioner in Canada is difficult because we don’t have access to him. Even when President Dr Goodluck Jonathan came, we were not allowed to see him, not to talk of interviewing him. We don’t know the Nigerian High Commissioner here and he does not know us, and that is wrong. When the governor of Kaduna came here, it was difficult to see him and interview him. But we want to know what is happening back home! Some people want to go back home to invest, but these government officials don’t want to see us. They ask you to come at ten o’clock, but they’re not there until twelve!

    Why do you think the media is always crumbling?

    Many go into the business because of money rather than passion. A lot of those who establish media are just out for the money and would be expecting returns immediately; but that is wrong because it is a long-term investment. One needs perseverance. I have been publishing for seven years now, yet this newspaper can’t pay my bills. But for Nigerians, it’s like a microwave – they want immediate result. A couple came from Nigeria to settle in Canada; they opened a grocery shop and sit there every day, but I told them that there is no way they would sit in one place and be doing that. I said if they continue like that, they would fold up within six months.

    Let’s talk about journalism ethics in Canada

    It is a pity most of the younger generations don’t want to write. They are just not interested. Here, our people used to volunteer; the government sends people to media houses and pays them. Journalists are respected and honoured in Canada. You need to meet them, and then you will appreciate the profession. No insult, no beating and we have access to information. We meet the top politicians and government officials while the government sends us press releases .There is nothing like brown envelope, but if you are invited, you charge them and they pay. Same thing with advertisement; they are happy to see us and our paper thriving, so they support us by giving us advertisement.