New book fills gap in Nigerian media research

Richard Ikiebe is a senior Fellow and Director at the Centre for Leadership in Journalism, School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos. In this interview, Ikiebe who edited a four-volume book “Nigerian Media Leaders: Voices Beyond the Newsroom”, set for launch tomorrow in Lagos said the need to document history that will aid media research and teaching  motivated him in to writing the book. Excerpts

What motivated you into writing this book ‘Voices beyond the Newsroom?

I came into the academia, about eight years ago when I got involved in full time teaching in the  media at Pan Atlantic University. I was shocked that  most historic references were not there. The authoritative book that exists is the book by Fred Omu that was published in the 1980s. Fred Omu stopped his narratives of the media in 1937 and there has been very little that has been done since that time. Dayo Duyile tried some work but his work needs further updating. If you look at the Nigerian media history, you will find out that the history is tantamount to the political history of Nigeria. This is because the early politicians who led this country and the next generation of politicians were mostly media people. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Akintola Williams, Anthony Enahoro, Bisi Onabanjo, Obafemi Awolowo, Herbert Macaulay, Lateef Jakande were all media men.  Others like Segun Osoba, Tony Momoh, Onyema Ugochukwu and most others were media men. A lot of people started off as media people. These are people who had great impact on the development of the nation. But what really motivated me was lack of material to teach and lack of reference materials for the students to learn about our people contribution both to the national development and media development in the country

‘Voices beyond the Newsroom’ appears to be a book of conversation, so how many people were involved in the conversation

It is really a book of conversation but very unique conversation. For example in 1976, Daily Times went into crisis that led to its demise. Various actors have told their own stories from their own perspectives. But there is no where you will find all of them speaking about the same issue together. In this book you will find most personalities speaking. So if you want to research on what events led to the Daily Times demise, you will have in one spot all the personalities talking about the misfortune of the newspaper. This was a misfortune for the Nigerian journalism and the nation as whole. In all, we interviewed about 85 people and it was a learning process for my students because it started as a class project where 10 of my students got involved on how to interview people at that level. The book has gone through a lot of processes to produce the best.

If you have to capture these voices and what is central in their discussion in a theme, what will you call it?

There is  willfulness for passion. There is also willfulness for professionalism and commitment to come back to the media. First of all, it is a media story and secondly it is a media story told by media people themselves. It is a conversation but there is no singular theme but a multiplicity of themes – Ownership, control, professionalism, ethics, and family owned business. Most of our businesses are not organized the way most businesses are organized. A wealthy man can establish a newspaper and get professional, focused and experienced media man to run it, but is he in-charge, that is the question.

In the study of 75 years of journalism in Nigeria, a lengthy period though, how did you see the practice then and now

First of all,  it was ambitious programme to start from 1935 when Omu ended. Actually the 75 years was informed by  the need to take off from 1935 to 2010. That was our yardstick but we quickly discovered that it was over-bloated ambition but we had already given it that tag. Two things almost made it an impossible task, first Nigerians are not record keeping, which again reinforced the need to have this book written. Secondly, most of the people we wanted to interview had died. It was brought home when Enahoro, Olusola, Alade Odunewu, Uche Chukwumerije all died and these are pillars and non of them wrote any biographies on the subject. This reinforces the African adage that if an old man dies in a village, a whole library is burnt down. In space of two years the nation lost some pillars, the need to write the book became even more urgent.

Did you have age consideration in those you spoke to?

We did not look at age but we looked at people who have made great contribution. What we have in these Volumes is basically a tip of iceberg. I can do a series of book on the story of Newswatch. People can do story on the founding of the Guardian, turn around at Punch, BusinessDay sustenance and how it has created a niche for itself. These are learning experiences that these volumes will provide for those who are really interested.

Also in your conversation, did you find a missing link in the practice of journalisms among the generations?

I fear that there is a ‘tyranny of ‘Is’ or tyranny of ‘because ‘. The ‘Is’ in this context is the internet. Most people give excuse that circulation is poor because of the internet. You are using a present excuse to explain why things are the way they are.  Yes, there is a reason why things are the way they are and they will be the way they are until we do something about it. If you say because I am a black man or white man, they wont allow me, it is tyranny of because. It is the  tyranny that holds you bond,whereas every problem has a solution. So if internet is our problem, how do you go about it.  I think that there is not enough rigorous thinking going in to redesigning our methods and modes of operation. We want to do things the way we use to do them to have the same results, but we forgot that demography has moved, culture has changed and behaviours have changed and international boundaries have crashed. I am traumatized by the number of excuses we provide on why things are the way they are. That is a major challenge. A mindset that has been taken captive of.

It appears the internet took the Nigerian market by sudden that is why we are struggling with it

The suddenness of it could be part of it but if you look at it critically internet was not sudden. It came slowly but we were not paying attention when it was coming. Journalists are very conservative people, we are not early adopters of innovation. Taxi people are using the internet and they are making money. Travel people are using the internet but journalists are the last people. There are some people who still want their secretaries print their email for them. This late adoption attitude is not only in Nigeria. In Europe and in some organisations, when they realized the challenge of internet, they paired old and young journalists. They ask the old guy to mentor the younger journalist and the younger to also mentor the older guy.  In the case of Nigeria, I have not been able to explain that the internet alone was responsible for our situation, though it has a role but it is not the only reason.

What are the other reasons?

We have already addressed some of it which includes lack of rigorous application of our minds to the challenge. Here is an example, in Kenya the usage of internet population by ratio is higher than Nigeria but the Nation, the flagship newspaper in Kenya is selling more papers a day than aggregate of circulation of about four newspapers in Nigeria. How come a small African nation, people are still buying hard copies on the street? There are then questions to ask of our business model and more to learn from other world. The New York Times needed a news chief executive, they went to Britain to hire former director general of BBC to be the CEO of New York Times. You need to understand that major move for New York Times. America is vast and New York Times is a flagship paper for Americans. They looked internally and in America but went to Britain to get an audio visual man to be MD of a paper. This tells you how people are thinking. This is at the time of convergence and this is why they have to do that.