22/10/2024
Breaking the Silence: Addressing the lingering challenges in most Nigerian media organisation.
5
As discussed in the last 4 series, my first love and career – the media industry, especially, in the Nigerian landscape, is marred by several underlying issues that hinder its growth and integrity. In today’s edition, which is likely to be the last series on highlighting the issues, I will delve into the following while the upcoming one (the grand finale) will focus on proffering solutions.
📌Unhealthy competition,
📌Lack of honour and respect for media personnel,
📌Toxic work environment, and
📌Lack of accountability and transparency.
These challenges not only create a hostile atmosphere for media professionals to thrive but also affect their work one way or another and erode public trust in the media.
1. Unhealthy Competition
I will say this is likely more prevalent in the Nigerian where competition can often be cutthroat, with media houses vying for ratings, readership, and advertising revenue at the expense of journalistic integrity. This unhealthy rivalry drives many to prioritise sensationalism over substantive reporting, leading to the spread of misinformation, propaganda sponsored and biased news stories. Rather than collaborating for the greater good of public enlightenment, the overall impact they make, media outlets sometimes resort to underhanded tactics to outdo one another.
This unhealthy competition also manifests internally within organisations, where and reporters are pitted against each other for promotions, recommendations, awards, or recognition. Believe it or not, the pressure to outperform peers creates a stressful work environment that erodes teamwork and collaboration, ultimately weakening the overall quality of media output.
2. Lack of honour and respect for media personnel
Honestly, I would write an epistle regarding this particular issue if you allow me. The way and manner most journalists are treated in many events that I have attended is appalling, to say the least. It doesn’t matter whether or not they are operating the camera and are usually expected to stand, for crying out loud, organisers and events owners should make clear provisions for them where they would retire at some point to rest their legs or backs alongside their food provisions as well. Everyone should understand the all-important role media personnel play in your programmes or events, especially, to promote and create the awareness needed for them and accord us all the respect we deserve.
3. Toxic Environment
Many media professionals in Nigeria work in toxic environments characterised by workplace bullying, unreasonable demands, toxicity between workers, and poor leadership styles. This culture fosters anxiety, burnout, and frustration among journalists and other staff members. Without management support, employees are often left to navigate difficult situations on their own, leading to a high turnover rate.
For example, in an environment where shouting, physical quarrelling, exchange of verbal abuses and all manner of ‘gbas gbos’ are like a norm, you’d agree with me about the level of toxicity that would exist in such a place. Truthfully, a toxic environment limits creativity and innovation. When workers feel constantly threatened or unappreciated, they become less motivated to go the extra mile in their roles. These atmospheres undermine the morale and cohesion needed to produce high-quality journalism.
4. Lack of Transparency and Accountability
Without mincing words, one of the most pressing issues in Nigerian media organisations is the lack of accountability and transparency, both internally and externally.
Internally, most media houses often lack clear structures for performance evaluations, ethical standards, or feedback mechanisms. It is equally a big issue when you constantly find employees of the industry feeling that their contributions are overlooked or unfairly assessed, and management often fails to take responsibility for operational failures. On some occasions, management would react illogically allowing their emotions to overrule their senses of judgment.
Externally, many media organisations can fall prey to hidden agendas, political affiliations, or corporate influences, making it difficult for the public to trust the credibility of their reporting. The lack of transparency regarding ownership, funding, and editorial policies fuels the basis for suspicion that these media outlets are compromised or biased.
Without clear values of accountability and transparency, most media organisations are more likely to engage in unethical practices, such as accepting bribes or suppressing critical stories.
In Conclusion, among the seriousness of all the issues highlighted right from the 1st series, unhealthy competition, and lack of accountability and transparency cap them all, which represent serious obstacles to the industry's development.
To build a healthier, more credible media landscape, the organisations affected must prioritise integrity, foster collaboration, create supportive environments, adequate wages, freedom of the press highly prioritised, opportunities for growth, technology and equipment needed for work, etc. should be made available for the employees of the industry. Only then can the Nigerian media truly fulfil its role in informing and empowering the public.
👉🏾Did any line or point in the series resonate with you? Feel free to add your valuable thoughts. 🙂
👉🏾I will surely notify you all once the Article where I’d bring together all the series is published. Do watch out for it.
Blessings, dear 🙏
🥰
👉🏾 Kindly FOLLOW yours sincerely Vivian Daniel (anipr, nuj, idan)
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