Nigerian Newspapers and Gutter Journalism

Nigerian Newspapers and Gutter Journalism

Hajiya Hafsat M. Zanna

From all indications the journalism profession is being jeopardized by those who ideally are supposed to be the custodians of the ethics and norms of the profession. Gone are the days when journalism and journalists as the fourth estate of the realm and its practitioners respectively are being viewed by all and sundry as the unbiased watchdog of the society and the conscience of the society.

The Leadership Newspaper’s Monday March 2, this year (Page 3) article titled ‘Pot calling kettle black’, authored by Orji Uzo Kalu, immediate past Governor of Abia state, is one case of gutter and reckless journalism being practiced by the paper through Kalu and his likes in our society. The kind of things said in Kalu’s piece are not only uncivilized and an abuse of the journalism profession but also one matter that can easily land the author and the newspaper an easy win court case. From all indications the issues raised by Kalu are libelous.There is no doubting the fact that Kalu and Leadership Newspaper are jointly engaged in efforts to put a spanner in the works of Atiku Abubakar’s ambition of securing a presidential ticket for 2011 under the banner of PDP or another party.

It is no longer news that as part of our crude politicking by our politicians, all hands are now on deck to undo one another as the 2011 general election gets nearer. All kinds and manner of politicians are ready to do anything to discredit one another with a view to making it possible for cowards to chicken out in the race.

Leadership as one of the most vocal and widely read newspaper in the country should not be involved in divisive, vindictive and abusive politicking. The paper had already made its impact known and felt as one bold, unbiased and professional newspaper. It should not allow itself to be used by crooks and failed politicians like Kalu and his likes. It has already made a name for itself in the industry and so it should not be involved in junk or gutter journalism.

It is public knowledge that Kalu as Governor of Abia state from 1999 to 2007 is involved in a court case for defrauding the state government of billions of Naira. Shouldn’t this alone be a major reason why the newspaper should have edited Kalu’s article in order to play safe so that the company is not involved in unsolicited litigation cases. That should worry Kalu and not Atiku. Kalu said Atiku’s middle name is corruption. Then if Atiku, despite Obasanjo’s smear that he was corrupt and could not provide evidence to that effect that would have made it possible for his EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu to charge him to court even after leaving office on May 29, 2007. This, according to Kalu, is the man whose middle name is corruption. Then here you have another man who served as governor for eight years and shortly after his tenure and having lost his immunity to prosecution, was arrested, charged to court, detained and refused bail. His offence was that he defrauded the Abia state government of more than N5billion. Because of this offence he spent almost two weeks in Kuje Prison. This person is Orji Uzor Kalu. The simple question to ask now is, among the duo of Atiku and Kalu who can an ordinary Nigerian call a thief?

Leadership Newspaper or any other newspaper for that matter must not give the chance to disgruntled politicians to use it to wage their war against perceived political enemies otherwise it will lose the credibility it has earned for itself over the years. We as readers are quite happy with the standard set by some of the country’s newspaper and they should shun aggrieved and disgruntled politicians like Kalu who are all out to use it to drown other credible politicians and consequently settle personal scores.

Editors at the Leadership Newspaper should have known that Kalu’s piece is a clear case that will drag the company to the court and at the end of the day millions of naira will be lost as a result because of the greed of a few within and outside the organization.

Other Nigerian newspapers are as reckless, if not more as Leadership Newspaper. On a daily basis, newspapers readers are fed with stories of one disgruntled politician calling another thief, corrupt, killer and other nasty names just to settle personal scores.

The Nigerian Press Council, NPC as the regulatory bodies for the practice of journalism profession in the country and the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN have a significant role to play in the regulation, practice and enforcement of the ethics, norms and standards of the profession in the country. Deviant behaviours by member bodies and individual journalists must be held accountable for their actions and inactions and punished accordingly as provided for in their code of conducts books. The journalism profession must not be allowed to be strangulated by charlatans and persons who have scores to settle. The society has provided a better way of doing that.

At this era of digitalization, Nigerian journalists must be seeing to be above board. Time is gone when journalists will practice gutter journalism and get away with it.They must practice the profession professionally, free of sentiments, affection or ill wind. That is surely the only way we can achieve greatness.