Journalists speak on Media Trust’s policies

The event attracted an impressive array of media professionals — reporters and editors, journalism trainers, media proprietors, academics and activists. The workshop organisers wanted the theme to be the dominant strand of the discourse but the discussion kept revolving around journalism’s code of ethics and the effects that its neglect is having on media practice […]

The event attracted an impressive array of media professionals — reporters and editors, journalism trainers, media proprietors, academics and activists. The workshop organisers wanted the theme to be the dominant strand of the discourse but the discussion kept revolving around journalism’s code of ethics and the effects that its neglect is having on media practice and quality of news.

Several times the participants raised the rhetorical question: Can journalists effectively contribute to the struggle for democracy and human rights if journalism practice is compromised by poor conditions of service and non observance of the code of ethics? The Media Trust policy Of ‘No thank you’ –a clear rejection of gratification-‘brown envelopes’ was mentioned by some participants who commended it.        

During the tea break, I requested some participants to respond to a questionnaire designed to tap their assessment of Trust group of newspapers. Mr. Adagbo Onoja is a journalist who has more than two decades of engagement with news production and dissemination. He was a reporter with the Triumph Group of newspapers in Kano in the 1980’s. He currently serves as the Media Adviser to the Governor of Jigawa state. The second respondent, Dr Abubakar Mu’azu is a trainer of journalists. He teaches journalism at the Department of Mass Communications at the University of Maiduguri.  Malam Gausu Ahmad is also a trainer of journalists and teaches at the Department of Mass Communications of Bayero University, Kano. Before moving to the academic sector he was an Editor of the Kaduna-based Democrat newspaper and Abuja based The Nation newspapers. Below are their comments:

Be less technical and

more generous with space

Mr Adagbo Onoja is a regular reader of Trust newspapers and as a media adviser to a policy maker he buys a copy daily. He focused his assessment on the daily and said ‘the paper is basically informed. The daily is strong on ideas and the weeklies provide the necessary variety required for a relaxed week end reading’. He wants the newspapers to maintain these. However as an avid reader of newspapers which provide timely information that influences policy, he wants to see news stories that provide more background information to readers. ‘Daily Trust has a fixation with technicalism which is reflected in the inadequate space it allocates to stories, feature articles and columns. The result is that the news stories are short and have no background; the administration of space in other sections of the paper also leaves no room for urgent and necessary discourses and exchange of ideas. Compared with other newspapers, Daily Trust is too rigid with space allocation. A newspaper is not a journal but rather a vehicle and forum for debates which can be initiated through the publication of a short essay or a treatise. Even a pioneer newspaper, the Daily Times of old had space for debates, an ‘open space’ for all readers to use for the exchange of ideas.”

Adagbo Onoja, Government House, Dutse 08069799337  

Coverage of

Nigeria is good but…

Dr Abubakar Muazu buys a copy of Daily Trust regularly and is happy with what the product gets for the value of his money. He said ‘the paper covers the country well and publishes timely stories. It supports its news stories with interviews and quoted statements from clearly identified sources. It also provides room for readers to express their opinions.” Dr Muazu wants the paper to improve by ‘giving more coverage to the North Eastern part of the country especially Gombe, Taraba and Adamawa States and provide space for cross word puzzles.”

Dr Abubakar Muazu, Dept of Mass Communications, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri 08036062093

Provide better

coverage for rural areas

Malam Gausu does not miss the Daily Trust and others from the Trust group of newspapers. He buys copies regularly and when it is more convenient for him he would also read them on line. He commends the Trust group of newspapers for the objectivity and balance they display in their coverage of news and urges the newspapers to maintain these. He said “I find the columns quite interesting and enjoy reading them particularly those written by my colleagues Mohammed Haruna, Adamu Adamu and Hajiya Bilkisu. The newspaper should improve in the following areas: providing more background information in their news stories and also by increasing its coverage of the rural areas where the majority of Nigerians live.”

Malam Gausu Ahmad, Dept of Mass Communications, BUK, Kano 08026861487

Congratulations

on Your Regional Office

I am delighted to hear that the Media Trust has established a regional office in Kano. It means that we, in Sokoto, will read Daily Trust on time. Once again Congrats.

Ibrahim Isah, Rujin Sambo, Sokoto 08036223152

Inversion of Sports

Page: Please conduct an opinion poll

I have followed the explanation given by the management of the Media Trust over the complaint we, the readers, made and also our request that it should stop the inversion of the sports pages of the Sunday Trust newspaper. I do not buy whatever your expert in newspaper aesthetics says about this newspaper style. I insist that the paper will be easier to read if you stop turning the pages upside down. The customer is always right. If you do not believe me why not conduct an opinion poll? I assure you that your readers will reject this inversion of pages because it creates a disconnect in the flow when reading our Sunday paper.

Ma’aruf Ibrahim, Abuja 08034537022