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Presidential candidate and former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, yesterday said one of the ways the Nigerian media can transform the country is by speaking truth to power.
Moghalu made the remarks while delivering a lecture at The Niche 4th anniversary lecture in Lagos, with “Development Reporting and Hysteria Journalism in Nigeria,” as theme of the anniversary.
He said one of the major ways by which the media can play the role of a catalyst in social transformation is through investigative journalism.
“By uncovering evidence of malfeasance and shedding light on social ills, journalists can influence public discourse in a major way,” he said.
“There is so much that is wrong with our country today, and a vibrant tradition of investigative reporting can help change this.
“The tradition of investigative reporting in Nigeria has been dying slowly as news has become more commercialised
“Speaking truth to power and going beyond press releases is never easy, but that is what must be done in order to truly make an impact.
“Good investigative journalism is about resources, and the ability for editors and publishers to resist external pressure when reporters ask uncomfortable questions. There is a general absence of both, and that is a key reason why there are so many important stories which remain untold.”
He also lamented about the working conditions of many journalists in Nigeria, noting that this factor have turned journalism in the country to a real estate that is sold to the highest bidder.
“In many outlets, journalists go for months without pay, while their bosses live large. The result is that the media becomes real estate to be bought by the highest bidder, because people have to feed their families. The truth is that much, though certainly not all, of what appears in news media in Nigeria today is paid for. In this state of affairs, journalism does not perform a public good, and it cannot serve developmental ends.
“Before journalists can even educate others, they must also be educated. What is the financial literacy level of journalists who cover finance and economic topics? What’s the science and technology literacy of the journalists who cover those topics? If most media houses find it difficult to pay their staff, how would they be able to invest in their staff to upgrade their knowledge of their respective beats? Every day, new information is being created, and it is so easy to get left behind. It would now fall on a highly motivated journalist to educate himself or herself.
“The result of this current landscape is the inability of the Nigerian journalist to inform the public, be at the forefront of social transformation, and hold the powerful accountable. Everyone loses. The Nigerian journalist exists within the Nigerian state, and unfortunately cannot rise above the average level of his or her environment. It would be unfair to demand this.”