Writer and novelist, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani recently took a critical look at journalists’ struggle for survival in Nigeria and reported that Nigerian journalists are typically paid wretched salaries, and even the pittance to which they are entitled is often owed for months at a stretch.
She said Paul Ibe, a former editor with Nigeria’s ThisDay newspaper last month became a celebrity in local media circles after an Abuja court awarded him more than $5,000 (N1,000,000) in damages when he won a suit against the newspaper’s publishers.
Paul Ibe had in 2011 filed proceedings against his former employer, seeking payment of outstanding monthly salaries and other allowances.
“I went to court not because of the money but because of the principle involved,” he reportedly told Adaobi.
“Every labourer deserves his pay,” He added.
It was reported that it is not as if their employers expect these journalists to work without pay. They just do not think that the staff’s income should come from the organisation’s pockets.
“My friend, who was a reporter with one of Nigeria’s popular newspapers, said her boss often justified his non-payment of salaries by saying: “I have given you a platform to make money. Use it.” He was referring to the opportunity to collect payment from individuals or organisations in exchange for publishing their stories.” Adaobi said.
She also said Nigerian journalists are known to prowl to and fro in search of anyone whose pay will inspire their pens and it is common for “brown envelopes” containing cash to be handed out during press briefings – a practice that has been going on for so long that many young journalists have no idea that it is unethical.
She also noted that after covering an event, they would linger expectantly until the envelopes stuffed with cash arrive and woe betide you if you fail to meet their expectations.
“Whatever you read about yourself and your event – if the item manages to find space in the newspaper – will be entirely of your own making. With this kind of system, you cannot expect the average Nigerian journalist to be fair in the presentation of facts.” She further stated.
“I know a top Nigerian politician who goes beyond brown envelopes to listing a number of editors on his payroll. As he disburses his staff salaries monthly, he also makes payments into the editors’ bank accounts,” she said.
She said that this practice ensures that whenever this politician has any “news” to disseminate, it gets published in several media without any questions asked or facts checked.
She also stated that the Nigerian media has become a thriving arena for all sorts of sponsored falsehoods with the judicial system being equally dysfunctional thus making it tortuous to win a libel case. She went further to say that this strikes at the very core of democracy, where the electorate’s ability to make sensible choices depends on the media for facts.
She said in 2008, she joined Nigeria’s now-defunct Next newspapers as one of its pioneer editorial staff.
“The newspaper was founded by Pulitzer-winning journalist, Dele Olojede and was celebrated for its vehement policy against brown envelopes. Within months of its launch, it was boldly reporting several important national stories that most mainstream newspapers would not touch. When its reporters began garnering local and international awards for investigative journalism, Mr Olojede reminded us that most of those stories had been lying in the public domain, simply waiting for someone to report them.” She stated.
She however noted that soon, revenue began to dry up because in Nigeria, established newspapers are paid to keep big stories off the front page and adverts were supposed to buy silence.
She said Next would often run a story in its popular weekend edition, only for editors to arrive at the office on Monday to meet an aggrieved marketing team – certain big advertisers had terminated their business that morning.
“After one revelation about corruption in the oil trade, scores of advertisers instantly pulled out. Many organisations began to distance themselves from the newspaper, for fear of being seen to be supporting the enemy of their friends.” Adaobi stated.
She said rumours of the newspaper’s reporters accepting brown envelopes soon began to filter in, but few editors had the heart to reprimand offenders and at the time when Next eventually called it quits in 2011, staff were owed more than five months’ arrears.
“It is difficult to ascertain whether corruption in Nigeria’s journalism emanated from pressure by the political and business elite, or if the media themselves initiated jukebox journalism,” Adaobi added.
“Following Mr. Ibe’s court victory – which only one newspaper reported – journalists from around the country have been sending congratulatory messages, thanking him for giving them hope because he has shown that the country’s journalists do not have to put up with being used and abused by their employers. However, it will take more than one court victory to bring an end to this kind of malpractice and create a thriving Nigerian media,” she said.
