By Mary Agidi
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“The media has the power to shift mindsets, drive societal change, and promote inclusion,” says HE Irash Tehrani, Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation, Canadian High Commission Nigeria.
Media professionals in broadcast, print, and online platforms have significant roles to play in ensuring an environment devoid of tension before, during, and after electoral processes. As members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, media professionals must prioritize the interests of the masses above personal or political actors’ interests.
Section one of the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage (Revised Edition, 2022) states: “A media organization shall regularly apply the principle of equity in the coverage and reportage of campaigns and other activities of parties and candidates contesting elections and shall make public any procedure put in place to achieve this.” The same section also says, “A media organization shall at all times uphold the right of parties and candidates to reply to allegations made against them.”
As Ondo State prepares for its governorship election on November 16, 2024, media support groups, the International Press Centre (IPC), and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) engaged media professionals in the state in a two-day dialogue to remind them of these obligations. IPC Director, Mr. Lanre Arogundade underscored the need to build the capacity of media professionals who are vital stakeholders in electoral processes, to ensure a more responsible media space before, during, and after elections. He emphasized conflict sensitivity in reporting electoral activities, avoidance of hate speech, and fact-checking to mitigate disinformation and misinformation.
In an interview-style session, the Director of the Journalism Clinic, Mr. Taiwo Obe, exposed participants to approaches for asking the right questions, especially when engaging party candidates on their campaign manifestos. To assess participants’ abilities to ask questions that would compel party candidates to be accountable to the electorate, they were divided into five groups and instructed to generate questions for the All Progressives Congress candidate, the People’s Democratic Party’s candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election, the Police Commissioner, INEC, and the masses’ requests. It was an eye-opening session that enlightened participants on how to draft compelling questions in the interest of the electorate.
A Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at Elizade University, Dr. Tunde Fajimbola, who spoke on “The People in Ondo Governorship Election: What Issues & What Agenda for the Media,” identified credible and issue-focused reporting as essential media roles in covering electoral activities. However, he also highlighted challenges impeding the effectiveness and credibility of electoral reporting by media professionals, such as limited resources and access to information, political interference and pressure, threats to life and security intimidation, government and self-censorship, and slow mobilization of resources and facilities.
Sadly, unlike their counterparts in developed countries, Nigerian media professionals face poor welfare interventions. During the media dialogue, the Director of the Journalism Clinic, Mr. Taiwo Obe asked participants, particularly those in privately-owned print media, about their salary status. It was shocking to hear that many confirmed being owed over a year of outstanding salaries. The question arises: How then do we expect these gentlemen of the press to practice according to professional ethics? Taiwo Obe, however, denounced the impression that journalism is a poor profession. He outlined opportunities in the field that could financially enrich professionals beyond their primary workplaces. With these opportunities, he expressed confidence that journalists could practice effectively without relying on handouts from political actors. In a competitive media space rapidly growing due to digitalization, he encouraged participants to step up their game beyond the traditional methods of practice, start thinking as media entrepreneurs, and make their work compelling. By doing so, they could achieve financial comfort without resorting to unethical money-making practices.
During the interactive session, a journalist, Moses Ojo, suggested that there should be a special budget for publicity, especially for election purposes, just as funds are allocated to INEC and security agencies.
The media dialogue served as a platform that allowed participants to engage stakeholders involved in electoral processes—such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the National Orientation Agency—on their level of preparedness for the election.
In her response, the INEC State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Toyin Babalola, expressed the commission’s readiness to work collaboratively with the media, underscoring the importance of having a good working relationship with members of the Fourth Estate to achieve credible polls.