Media coverage of campaigns
To underscore the importance of the media, the Nigerian constitution ascribes very key role to the media in section 22, which provides that “the press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability […]
To underscore the importance of the media, the Nigerian constitution ascribes very key role to the media in section 22, which provides that “the press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people”.
There is therefore no doubt that an election period in Nigeria is one of the most trying times for any media establishment and institution worth its salt.
The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) as one of the largest publicly funded television in black Africa is usually the cynosure of all eyes in times of electioneering campaign.
It is a fact that Nigeria Television Authority over the years has received some bashings from certain political quarters who nursed the perception that it was consistently teleguided by the officials of government and that in times of electioneering campaign, it may come under overwhelming pressure to favour the political party in power. In 2007, the Nigerian Television Authority understandably came under intense criticism from political parties other than the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for excessively focusing their political coverage to favour the ruling party at the federal level. I said understandably because Nigeria was reeling heavily under the weight of a form of ‘mild tyranny’ by the then transiting President Olusegun Obasanjo whose administration did everything under the sun to scheme out other political opposition using the machinery of government so as to gain advantage at the general elections in order to ensure that his hand picked candidate emerged as his successor in office.
But that era of excessive government intervention and interference in the affairs of the publicly funded media institutions like the Nigeria Television Authority and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria is long gone. Inspite of this NTA has come under severe criticisms from the opposition.
One key media institution of government that benefited from the renewed resolve of the current administration to allow them free hands to operate within the confines of the law is the NTA.
There are abundance of proofs that the medium has witnessed positive transformation and growth so much so that persons from all walks of life have gained unfettered access within the due process of the law of the air waves of the Nigeria Television Authority which now has offices in the United States of America, Britain and Canada to name just a few.
During political campaign in Nigeria, political parties are usually in hot pursuit of prime time on the air waves of the Nigeria Television Authority to air their views.
Because of the diverse nature of messages coming from dozens of political parties and politicians, the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, a body statutorily responsible for monitoring of operations of electronic media Institutions introduced what it called “Nigeria Broadcasting Code” stipulating the standards for public broadcast. The Nigeria Television Authority just like most other electronic or print media has its own house rules or what it aptly calls Nigeria Television Authority’s political broadcasting manual which written in complete compliance with the extant Nigerian broadcasting code.
Dokun Bojuwade had stated that “the journalist or an ideal editor …must be able to distinguish the real from the illusion, the significant from the petty, and the long range from the temporary”, and this is precisely what house rules introduced by all media houses are meant to do, to safeguard the media houses from falling short of the legally prescribed broadcasting or media ethics and codes of conduct.
Article 3.4 of the political broadcast manual of the Nigeria Television Authority states the responsibilities of the media house in the public broadcasting of political campaign documentary or advertisements.
“The power of television to influence political choices dictates that the NTA insulates itself from charges of wittingly, or otherwise placing this power in favour of one side against another, by observing the following rule and guidelines: Watch out for, and not feature, a politician who might seek to gain political mileage by cunningly using a private, social or philanthropic activity to propagate a political view or ambition, make “balance” and “fairness” the standard of political broadcast by ensuring equal or equitable, presentation of alternative or opposing views or interests, and balance can be achieved within a programme or a programme series.
On April 6th 2011, some print media ran a story from the Presidential Campaign organization of Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau accusing the Nigeria Television Authority of refusing to run its advertisement adapted from the private debate organized by a private television station Nigeria News 24 (NN24).
Shekarau’s campaign body alleged that the refusal by the Nigeria Television Authority to run its commercial adapted from a privately organized debate by a private television station amounted to a denial of equal right and access to the air waves of NTA to a political opposition.
To all intents and purposes, I think that as a professional, the conclusion to be reached is that the Shekarau presidential campaign organization intended to score cheap advantage over the rest of the Presidential Candidates that attended that same debate by seeking to promote a segment of that private event as political views to be aired in a publicly funded television station like the Nigeria Television Authority which is highly acclaimed as the conscience of the nation and the mouth piece of the masses.
Emmanuel Onwubiko heads Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria.