From Abdulfatah Babatunde
The media industry in Nigeria is currently facing serious economic challenges threatening sustainable operations.
TheNewsZenith reports that this is the major discourse at the 20th All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
The conference theme is “Economic Growth and Development Strategies in a Resource-Rich Country.”
One of the primary concerns raised at the conference was the rising costs associated with essential resources for media production.
Information and National Orientation Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, who stood in for Preisdent Bola Tinubu, agreed with opinions of media stakeholders that the state of the newspapers and the media industry generally in this country “is pitiable”.
“Let me say that the President listens to you severally. He has called me to ask what is it; what is possible for us to do to the media in this country.
“And I want to tell that very soon the President’s wishes for the media will become very clear.
“The President is willing to intervene in the media industry will not just serve as the watch of society but also continue to operate as a business we going back by God’s bless to those golden days when the newspaper was in lead a business.
“But let me say that it’s also for the newspaper and the media general, to know that while it is their constitutional duty to hold government to account, it is also their duty to ensure that the respect and integrity of the media is maintained.
“The way you can do this is by being factual, by being honest and truthful. But above all also you must be patriotic to our country.
“It’s of no use when you just push out information for pushing out this challenge.
TheNewsZenith reports that the President’s message, delivered by the Minister underscored the intertwined roles of government and media in serving public interests and strengthening democracy.
President Tinubu urged media professionals to hold elected officials accountable while fostering a spirit of collaboration rather forming opposition with the government.
Also speaking, Gov. Douye Diri challenged the media practitioners to uphold moral ethics in their business of information dissemination.
“I firmly believe it is time for very bold actions from the Press. There is a moral imperative to find the right balance in this regards.
“Therefore, I pray that you should find the right balance in this conference.
“Now that you are in the glory of all lands in Bayelsa State. If you come to Nigeria and you have not visited Biyelsa, consider yourself that you have not visited Nigeria.
“And then you say you are visiting the Niger Delta and you go around all the states of the Niger Delta without visiting Bayelsa, know that you have not visited the Niger Delta.
“The reason is that Bayelsa State is more riverine than River State; Bayelsa is more Deltaic, than Delta State,” TheNewsZenith quotes Diri as saying.
The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Nduka Obaigbena, recognising that times are hard for the media industry, urged the press to support the government reforms towards economic re-engineering.
“Times are hard, but Nigerian journalists are harder. So, you have to be tough to cope with the time.
“Nigeria is in a reset. We have reforms at our foot. And unlike others, I do see that the future can be better if we give the reform a human face.
“We should support the reform, we should stay on the cause but we have to ensure that the poor and the vulnerable are supported,” Obaigbena, who is the Chairman of the ThisDay and Arise Media Group said.
Uncle Sam Amuka, publisher of Vanguard newspaper, highlighted that the scarcity of resource materials such as newsprint has become one of the biggest obstacles for media outlets.
“The truth is there’s no business if the purpose of business is to make some money a profit.
The newspaper business is dead and things have changed.
In many cities in the past, you may have noticed vendors carrying newspapers around. But now you hardly find any.
There’s this marketing cliche that says seller won’t sell if the buyer won’t buy. The way we are now, not many people can afford the money to buy newspaper.
“We need government involvement in this business. Price of newsprint is high. A roll of newsprint is now N2 million,” Amuka said.
Welcoming guests, Presidnent of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, underscores the interlink themes of the 2024 conference.
“We gathered for this year’s annual conference. Today our focus is on two interlink themes: the growth of our country’s economy and the sustainability of our media industry.
“As editors, we are not only stewards of information and truth, but also stakeholders in our national development.
“A resilient media sector play in fostering a prosperous informed and democratic society.
“Today, as editors we stand at crossroads where our decisions priorities and strategies will shape the future of journalism.
“The growth of our growth of our nation’s economy directly influences every sector, and our industry is no exception.
“A strong economy fuels consumer spending, drives innovation and creates opportunities for media organisations to expand and thrive.
“Yet, with yet with opportunities come new challenges. Media organisations face mounting pressure to adapt to modern trends while staying financially viable and maintaining journalistic integrity,” he said.
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