Debating Government And The Media By Yushau A. Shuaib

The debate over whether the
government and the media are friends
or foes was rekindled at a recent
interactive seminar on Responsibility
to Report (R2R) organised by the
Development Research and Project
Centre with funding from the Dutch
Government in Abuja.
The seminar was similar to the
recently concluded Military-Civilian
Dialogue, where the National Security
Adviser, Sambo Dasuki sought the
cooperation and understanding of
Nigerians on the ongoing military’s
intervention in fighting insurgency in
the country.
Unlike the Military-Civilian where
former Heads of States and top public
functionaries were in attendance,
participants at Responsibility to
Report were mostly spokespersons
from emergency response agencies
like the military, police, NEMA and
volunteers. The media too were
adequately represented with editors,
producers and bloggers in attendance.
I had the privilege to be one of the
facilitators that included Abdul Raufu
Mustapha of Oxford University, and
Ms. Femke Van Zeiji from The
Netherlands.
Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye the respected
Mass Communication scholar, was the
Keynote Speaker who dropped the
bombshell that triggered a lively
interaction throughout the
programme. While attempting to be
neutral in his assessment of the
relationship between the government
and the media, the academic dwelt on
the power of the media, its influence
in the society and the inherent
loophole in the freedom of information
law among others.
The Editor-in-Chief of Premium
Times, Dapo Olorunyomi, who was also
a facilitator agreed with most of the
arguments raised by the Professor
and further echoed non-transparent
nature of government and the alleged
shabbiness in the implementation of
freedom of information law in Nigeria.
They both reinforced the general
belief that the media is powerful as
the Fourth Estate of the Realm, while
I also responded that the government
seems to be more powerful because all
the other Estates: the Executive,
Legislative and Judiciary are within its
realm (government.)
While the two argued that government
and the Media cannot be permanent
Friends but LOYAL OPPONENTS, I
advanced the view that the
spokespersons in government can be
friends with the media on behalf of
their organisations through mutual
respect and dignified reciprocal
relationship.
Professor Akinfeleye emphatically
supported the submission of former
America President, Thomas Jefferson
who said that if he was to choose
between a Government without a
Press, or a Press without a
Government, he would not hesitate to
choose the latter! This submission I
argued, cannot hold if every person is
investigating and probing into one
another as a reporter, without a law
by legislators to protect the people,
and the existence of the judiciary to
adjudicate over disputes and the
executive arm to check excesses and
unethical practices. Such a society, I
pointed out can only exist in a jungle,
where there are no rules of law but
animalistic interpersonal relationship.
There is no problem with any
government. Antics of some
characters in government create the
negative perceptions about public
institutions. Added to the unbecoming
and petty behaviours of some officials
in government is the reality that
public information management is very
weak largely due to unskilled
manpower, ill-equipped departments
and political interference where a
seeming straightforward and truthful
information is deliberately distorted
for egocentric ambitions of principals.
In fact the Freedom of Information
Act (FOI) could not have been a
necessity if the public information
officers have been allowed to
discharge their roles responsibly and
professionally.
A study and adherence to basic
principles of Public Relations could be
a clear guide for spokespersons rather
than the fire brigade approach and
combatant posture of such image
managers to simple issue management.
Therefore spokespersons, as the
intermediaries between the
government and the media, should not
only rely on prerequisite and relevant
qualifications and experiences but
should have humane temperaments
and friendly dispositions while
discharging their responsibilities.
While a well-trained and well-behaved
public officer can easily court
friendship of the media and earn the
respect of the public, journalists too
should imbibe the PR instinct and
principle by initiating cordial
relationships with officers in
government to minimise mutual
suspicions and misgivings.
At the end of the seminar,
participants issued Guidelines for
Communication in Times of Conflict
for Government, Media and Civil
Society in which they recommended
that the media should always separate
facts from opinion while urging
journalists to be mindful of public and
national interest in providing honest,
factual and accurate information at
all times.
While participants agreed that there
are presently neither laws nor
regulatory bodies to monitor and
check online and Social Media in
Nigeria, they strongly recommended
capacity building and training on the
use of latest technology for effective
communication by those in government
and the media.
Public officers and spokespersons
were advised to establish and sustain
a mutually respectful relationship with
the media, which should be
professional and transparent.
On the other hand, media owners were
urged to improve the working
conditions of their employees, while
journalists were cautioned that
“regardless of the circumstances,
they should not expect, accept or
offer inducements to publish reports.”
The interactive session was not only
lively, the active participation of
Director Defence Information, Brig-
General Chris Olukolade and Police
Force Public Relations Officer Frank
E. Mba at the event created the
enablement for frank and sincere
talks between the spokespersons in
government and the representatives
of the media that included online
bloggers.
One message is clear: whether in
government or out of government we
must protect and promote public and
national interests for the economic
growth not minding the misdemeanour
of few individuals in the media or in
public office.
The message in all these which was
also conveyed at the military-civilian
dialogue is the need for harmonious
relationship where the citizens live
peaceful without fear of
misrepresentation which could lead to
hatred and unwarranted attacks.