The Nigerian media “gives too much premium to politics and ignores key areas with direct bearing on the lives of the common man,’’ a media expert, Alhaji Ladan Salihu, said.
Salihu, who is the Director-General of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Sunday, that “the media hardly bother about the economy and agriculture.
“The daily life of people in the lower rungs of the society should be of utmost concern to reporters and editors.
“The small farmer, the battery charger, the shoe shiner and commercial motorcyclists actually run the economy, but we do not have time for them.’’
He also observed that media headlines had always been on basic disagreements among politicians and even on whether soldiers or state security personnel should protect the President.
He said “I do not see how the issue of who protects the President concerns the onion seller or other petty traders, the vulnerable members of the society the media should be protecting and projecting.
“In the rural areas, there is shortage of fertiliser; farmers still use obsolete implements and outdated seeds, but those issues hardly attract coverage.
“I understand the obsession for stories on the big leaders, but our nation will not progress and prosper if journalists ignore real, touching issues that are crucial to moving it forward.’’
The media expert then advised that politics and politicians be de-emphasised after elections and attention paid to what those elected must do to better the lot of the voter and common man.
According to him, it is the duty of the media to mobilise Nigerians to support efforts toward people-oriented policies that improve economy, education and the farms.
He stressed that promoting divisive political issues was counter-productive.
He reminded journalists of their professional responsibility to unite all segments of the people to enable Nigerians forge a common ground to achieve noble goals.
He also advised his colleagues to focus on issues that border on transparency in governance, selfless service and accountability, and stressed the need for the media to remain vanguards of good governance.
Salisu also spoke on what he described as “diminishing quality of editorial content’’, and blamed that on media ownership and the negative effects of “who pays the piper dictates the tune’’ syndrome.
He said “the political class has particularly contributed to lowering professional integrity as they engage journalists to do their bidding, using fair or foul means, especially when they want to settle scores with rivals.
“Sometime, you see screaming headlines or reports quoting flammable statements with little regard to their effects. Clearly, such attitude is not good for national cohesion and growth,’’ he said.
He also criticised the quality of current reporters, and described most of them as “very lazy.
“They do not read, do not go to archive reports, so all we see is beautiful prose but no substance.’’
Salihu then called for more training for reporters and also advised employers to pay attention to their welfare so as to improve editorial quality and ensure the right impetus for true professionalism.
NAN
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