Governments, at all levels, have been charged to support the media and ensure that attacks on her are halted if the nation desires to come out of the woods.
The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of the National Media Virtual roundtable jointly organised by ActionAid Nigeria and Journalists Against Poverty in commemoration of 2020 World Press Freedom Day.
Our correspodent reports that discussions at the meeting were centered on the theme, “Between Survival and Existence: Media Objectivity in the Face of Dwindling Fortunes” with 68 participants including journalists, media and public relations practitioners, communication executives and representatives of civil society organisations.
Speakers included; Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher, Premium Times Newspaper, Funke Egbemode, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation and immediate past President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Sola Adebawo, Manager – Communications, Policy, Government & Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria and Mid-Africa, and Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi.
The participants emphasized that governments at all levels must come to terms with the reality of the media’s importance to the growth of democratic tenets, and therefore prevent media attacks for the good of the nation.
The stakeholders observed that the Nigerian media is yet to be totally free from attacks and clampdown by the ruling class and that Nigeria still ranks low on the table of countries with conducive atmosphere for free press operation.
They also observed that the financial crisis that is rocking the Nigerian media has now been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, thus massive retrenchment is foreseen in the industry if there are no urgent deliberate interventions by stakeholders.
“That digitalised operations are no longer an option for media owners and managers considering the current financial constraints, overhead costs and the increasing digital advertising.
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In their pinion, mergers and acquisitions will not be a lasting solution to survival, but financial and operational innovative strategies must be urgently developed.
“Mass downsizing and job losses in the media industry may pose a security threat as unemployment is a key driver of insecurity. Hence the Nigerian media might need to consider an urgent bailout structure that will not compromise its independence bearing in mind the large number of Nigerians employed by the industry.
They also stated that the public and private sector needs to see investment in the media as an investment in the nation and its people, not a favour to the practitioners.
While they lamented that despite its Watchdog role, the media has been ignored to fizzle out, and this is most glaring in the face of the current pandemic, they harped on the need to encourage responsible journalism to enable the media fulfil its mandate as enshrined in Section 22 of Nigeria’s Constitution.
The meeting, therefore, recommended that stakeholders and government should jointly develop a legal framework to guide and effect bailout in the media industry without prejudice as applied to the banking, telecommunications and aviation industry and without recourse to politicking its intervention and abuse of power or as a means of control.
“Media owners, managers and practitioners should recognise that digitalisation has come to stay for good, thus evolve, be more creative, innovative and technology driven in order to survive.
“The media and CSOs should better coordinate as allies to attain the mutual objective that puts the interest of Nigerians at the centre.”
“CSOs should support media’s full transition to digitalisation by building capacity of journalists and bringing back activism as in the days of old where public interest based on truths and selflessness determined media contents,” the meeting held.
