Mirroring governance with evidence-based reporting

There is no question that our country as an emerging democracy is moving at a hectic but exciting political and cultural pace. Advances in knowledge and the resources to organize, disseminate and communicate in real-time have enabled tectonic shifts in citizen democratic participation across the country, enhancing the capacity of individuals and communities to question […]

There is no question that our country as an emerging democracy is moving at a hectic but exciting political and cultural pace. Advances in knowledge and the resources to organize, disseminate and communicate in real-time have enabled tectonic shifts in citizen democratic participation across the country, enhancing the capacity of individuals and communities to question power and demand from their leaders a conduct of public affairs in the light of day.

The news media are at the front and center of all this. They are an integral part of the democratic process. 

A little over ten years ago when I started out as a spokesman to the Yobe State governor, the media environment was significantly different from what we have today. There were TV, radio, magazines and newspapers, alright, but those were traditional news media with conventional, formulaic editorial templates.

In that standardized, mainstream media environment, major news breaks had to go through the newsroom. From the reporter in the field to the editor, elements of a story were normally subjected to the rigors of editorial fact-checking and the tests of objectivity, balance, fairness, and accuracy, amongst others.

This guarantees that there are at least some people who will make sure that deliberately mischievous, patently false, libelous and editorially inappropriate content did not get to media audiences. 

It was the era of relative stability for many of us as government spokespeople. The very idea that you could follow up with someone in the newsroom and liaise with them to verify a story and, crucially, get your own side of it reflected at least puts all the issues in a balanced way before the public.

This era is now getting painted over. What has changed?

First, the ascendance and growing influence of social media have turned out to be the most significant turning points in how we operate as spokespeople and how we mediate the often-intricate relationships between the government and the public.

From Twitter to Tumblr, Facebook to Facetime, and Instagram to WhatsApp, the entire ecology of government public relations – how government activities and interventions are seen and discussed by the public or even the scope of public participation in the discursive universe – has shifted to an entirely new media ecosystem in which we, as spokespeople, continue to have infinitely far less suasion.

But without the tools of informed practice, without a proper understanding of the implications of the written word, many in this new media universe have turned professional journalism on its head, writing whatever they wanted, often under fake and unverifiable social media accounts. This then proliferates fake news, trolls, warts and all.

To be sure, social media can be a force for good in journalism today. As a spokesman, for example, I now reach more people through my Facebook page and my Twitter handle at any given time than I could ever hope to do in a single TV or newspaper ad.

But the idea that someone with an opinion but not necessarily the requisite facts can sit in the comfort of his or her room and start an internet troll that deliberately spreads a lie in order to score a political point or settle scores is perhaps the greatest worry every spokesperson keen to succeed on the job has.

It is also the reason that we, as spokespeople, must work harder than ever to approach the challenges of practice – the challenge of making sure that we communicate the governance initiatives of our bosses successfully – with clear-eyed pragmatism.

To speak about governance is to speak about good governance – about whether quality service delivery to the people, equity and justice, an empathy for the downtrodden, etc. are the hallmarks of the government in power. 

This is where evidence-based reporting comes into play. We can understand evidence-based reporting in contrast to speculative reporting. Speculative reporting is hear-say reporting. It lacks facts or basis and mostly relies on anonymous sourcing. 

Not all anonymously sourced stories are always necessarily false. In most cases, however, anonymous sources had been used as cover to fabricate stories and ruin hard-earned reputations. But that’s essentially what is in vogue on social media today

Evidence-based reporting, though not a one-size-fits-all, is the way to go in handling this. It assumes that we can use the resources at our disposal – the resources of evidentiary proof including photographs, video clips, location visits, officials who can speak on camera, graphs, charts, and every possible background info – to steer the news media away from the speculations and trolls especially prevalent on social media and bring them to the facts on the ground in our states. 

Evidence-based reporting also presupposes that we could use the same resources to establish and maintain a powerful presence in cyberspace so that overtime, as a matter of reach, we would seem to have the upper hand.

But we can only do this so much.

There are times when our best antidote against occasional disinformation is silence. There are certain lies that you just don’t have to respond to or individuals you don’t have to join issue with. 

But even as you do all you must to succeed as a spokesperson, uncontrolled social media fury will be just a part of a long list of worries you may have to contend with. 

There are many others, such as how do you stay ahead of the game and ensure the best possible press for your boss and your state as a whole? How can you have the best possible access to your boss and to timely information from across the government so that the news media trusts you as a dependable spox? How do you mediate the relationship between the media, and especially hostile media and the principal you serve? How do you monitor and convey feedback? 

These and others are questions that I believe we are already dealing with right now. They are questions that go to the heart of our very definition as spokespeople and whether, in the end, we succeed in that capacity or not.

What I have learnt over the years is that, to be successful, you must have a set of core values that should be your map and compass throughout your career. Among those, loyalty, hard work, professionalism, patience, and large-heartedness should rank at the top. 

Let your work speak for you. Let the extent to which the governor is widely and positively reported across the media say something about your hold on your turf.  

Let your patience, dignity and integrity speak on your behalf, because I believe when you do, when you allow the best version of yourself to always shine through, then however difficult the moment seems, you are sure to have your boss on your side and this ensures that you have the best possible chance to succeed.

Being excerpts from the paper delivered by Mr. Bego at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Conference for Media Handlers of State Governors held in Abuja on October 23, 2017.