Hurray! Daily Trust is 20
Born in 1998 at a time when the wind was blowing very hard against good journalism, Daily Trust looked like a child destined for ill-fate. But in 20 years of political tumult, national economic ups and downs as well as the negative prophecies of those who said the Northern soil was infertile for the media […]
Born in 1998 at a time when the wind was blowing very hard against good journalism, Daily Trust looked like a child destined for ill-fate. But in 20 years of political tumult, national economic ups and downs as well as the negative prophecies of those who said the Northern soil was infertile for the media business, Daily Trust survived and thrived, waxing stronger and charging into new domains.
Daily Trust’s multi-coloured experience was aptly captured by Chairman of Media Trust Limited Malam Kabiru Yusuf, who spoke last week on why Daily Trust is celebrating this milestone. He said, “I think we will be celebrating value. A lot of people didn’t even give us a chance that we will be here.” Actually, the company’s over its besetting challenges is a testimony to the founders’ guts on the wings of faith, resilience, dexterity, continuous innovation, professionalism and credibility.
The mission statement of Daily Trust is, “To disseminate credible information for the good of all stakeholders.” Its vision is to be “A world-class media company that earns public trust.” These values are anchored on credibility and trust, two essential ingredients and texture of good journalism. In the last twenty years Daily Trust has demonstrated a good measure of editorial independence. With the publishers shunning undue interference from societal power, editors have exercised freedom to use their professional judgement in deciding the stories to publish. In this way, the newspaper has proved to be a platform for discourses on multiple perspectives of diverse political, economic, and social issues in Nigeria and beyond. Newsmakers and readers now identify with Daily Trust at the newsstand and on their smartphones on a daily basis.
Effectively managing the delicate intersections between journalism and business, the board and management of Daily Trust have beaten the jinx that Northern Nigeria is a graveyard of newspapers and magazine. Over the past twenty years, they have steered the company’s ship through turbulent currents and wild waves to unexpected profitability. The newspapers are now printed simultaneously in Abuja, Kano, Maiduguri and Lagos and Sokoto will join the train by year’s end. Thus, readers in all parts of Nigeria do read Daily Trust every day. It was for this reason that Media Facts, published by Media Reach OMD, a leading specialist media company commonly regarded as an advertising agency, declared Daily Trust as the Number One newspaper in Nigeria in 2015.
Apart from its wide circulation, the editorial contents of Daily Trust attracted the Nigeria Media Merit Award jury in 2016. After a rigorous process and considering various parameters, NMMA adjudged us to be the Newspaper of the Year, citing its penchant for innovation, integrity and credibility. In the same year, Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME) declared Daily Trust as the Child-Friendly Newspaper of the Year 2016. These awards by independent and credible outfits, in addition to local and international awards won by Daily Trust journalists, have placed the publication in the league of important newspapers in the country and beyond.
Not only have we taken; we have also given. Media Trust’s Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme receives 2.5% of the company’s annual profits and spends them on female medical education, orphanages, prisons, water supply to poor communities and IDPs in the North East.
Daily Trust could have recorded more successes if the government had implemented media-friendly policies. The print media in Nigeria is beset by high cost newsprint and foreign exchange, poor transportation network, high interest rates, unreliable electricity supply, dwindling advertising as a result of the weak economy and the general drop in national reading culture. Government should address these issues because journalism is crucial in the promotion of the values of democracy and good governance.
While saluting all Nigerians and institutions that have facilitated the realisation of Daily Trust founders’ dream of practicing credible journalism in the last 20 years, we urge Nigerians to keep faith with us as we expand our frontiers to the emerging digital journalism and its affiliated platforms. Together with our faithful readers and business partners, we look forward to marching with hope and pride into the next 20 years.