THERE WILL BE INK - Initiative for Policy Dialogue

Since most advertisements go to top Nigerian papers, Nigeria’s numerous lower-tier papers are ableto print articles critical of business without risking loving advertising. The articles attract readers, butare sometimes slanderous and inaccurate. Paradoxically, the negative reporting can also attractadvertisements from companies trying to protect themselves from negative coverage. 47 In any case,the relationship between newspapers’ editorial and advertising departments is often an unhealthyone.The wall between advertising and editorial departments, an ideal in American journalism traditions,is often not honored in Nigeria. In some newsrooms journalists are encouraged to sell ad space.Some journalists see no problem with this – a few told us they hoped future training programswould focus on marketing and entrepreneurship. 48Ownership InfluenceMost Nigerian papers are owned by a single person with a political or profit-driven agenda, ajournalist-turned-media consult told us. As in other countries – including the United States – manymedia owners are in the business for the power it gives them, not because of any special affinity forjournalism 49 . Sometimes, publishers even manipulate stories in favor of their business interests.Since individual owners hold all of the power, they are rarely challenged 50 .Journalists sometimes feel at odds with their media owners. “We are despised by the political class –even by those who own the papers,” Jahman Anikulapo said. Since 1999, seven politicians havebecome owners of newspapers, many of which are fronts for political schemes, he said. The ownerof the Daily Independent, for example, is a politician with the People’s Democratic Party, Nigeria’sstrongest, and a former governor who is currently being investigated by the Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission 51 .Access to InformationAccess to information is one of the most pervasive problems for Nigerian journalists. Governmentis not required, inclined or, in some cases, able to share information – at least in a timely manner.Likewise, businesses do not make an effort to share meaningful information with journalists, andgenerally feel no pressure to do so. Even when it would be relatively easy to get information,journalists may not know the best way to go about requesting it or have the training to distinguishuseful information.Many journalists cite a poor legal framework in Nigeria as a major impediment to reporting. Thelaws affecting media in Nigeria have not been changed since the country returned to democratic rulein 1999. Notoriously, that has meant that Nigeria does not have a freedom of information law, eventhough a Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB) has made it almost all the way through a “torturouslegislative journey through Nigeria’s unpredictable political turf.” 5247 Nigerian Interviewee #5. 2009. Interview by Ben Colmery and Adriana Diaz. Lagos, Nigeria, January48 Nigerian Interviewee #14. 2009. Interview by Ben Colmery and Adriana Diaz. Lagos, Nigeria, January49 Nigerian Interviewee #2. 2009. Interview by Ben Colmery and Adriana Diaz. Lagos, Nigeria, January50 Nigerian Interviewee #5. 2009. Interview by Ben Colmery and Adriana Diaz. Lagos, Nigeria, January51 Nigerian Interviewee #15. 2009. Interview by Ben Colmery and Adriana Diaz. Lagos, Nigeria, January52 Media Alert West Africa 2006-2007: Annual State of the Media Report, Media Foundation for West Africa, 2008, p.53.– 18 –