Why journalism curriculum should be reviewed – Professor Pate
What informed the decision to review the journalism curriculum?This is a meeting to review the curriculum as it relates to mass communication in Nigeria. The background is simple: About one-and-a-half-years-ago, the UNDP invited me and a colleague to do a review of media and democracy in Nigeria. We went round the country and assessed the […]
What informed the decision to review the journalism curriculum?
This is a meeting to review the curriculum as it relates to mass communication in Nigeria. The background is simple: About one-and-a-half-years-ago, the UNDP invited me and a colleague to do a review of media and democracy in Nigeria. We went round the country and assessed the performance of the media against the background of good governance for democratization. We submitted our report in the end. We came out with the conclusion that showed the weaknesses that existed in the mass media system and also the gaps that needed to be addressed, one of which was the capacity of the journalists operating in the field.
The issue is; you cannot give what you don’t have. You must be sufficiently equipped with what democracy means- with the practice of democracy and all the tools that go with it for you to be able to argue democracy on the pages of your newspaper and talk about democracy in your radio or TV station. So, we realized that our journalists need to be equipped and one of the points from which you can equip them is from the point of training in our institutions, such as the universities and polytechnics where mass communication courses are offered. We made recommendations on how our regulatory bodies like the NBTE and the National Universities Commission (NUC) can relate with the UNDP and bring the universities and polytechnics together to brainstorm on some of the findings and see how our curriculum can incorporate the aspects of good governance, democracy and the media so that by the time a student graduates he becomes fully equipped.
We also recommended the introduction of courses like media and democracy, strengthening the teaching of ethics, transparency, conflict and language handling. These are aspects that our students need to learn to be able to serve the system in a more robust manner for democracy to survive in Nigeria.
How would you describe the practice of journalism in Nigeria?
Journalism is faring well in Nigeria and you can imagine how Nigeria would have been without the media. Whether good or bad, whether weak or active, our media certainly contribute positively in the strengthening of democracy in Nigeria. We are checking the system where, for example, the legislature appears to be weak to check certain things that are being done by the executives, you see the media coming out actively to talk and that sometimes challenge those who are operating the system.
But that does not mean that there are no areas which we need to improve upon. For you to be fair to the media in talking about these problems, you need to understand from where they are coming. You look at the issue of ownership, for example, and the environment in which they are operating; how correct is the environment? You also look at the institutions they are relating with. For instance, if you take the security system, you talk about the kind of pressure that impact on them in the course of operation, then you can understand why certain things are happening the way they are happening.
There are media organizations where welfare of staff is always neglected; there are media organizations where the facilities are completely absent and a media organization where the security of staff cannot be guaranteed. So, this is not environment that can promote an active performance, but then the media is surging on. You could see when you open the pages of the newspaper that things are happening despite the fact that we have government or media organisations that try to change to reality or manipulate to reality. The good thing is that the system is vibrant and there are always alternative voices that will ensure that you get the right information, especially with the international media system.
What in your opinion is the status of investigative journalism in Nigeria?
Well, this is an area where we are generally weak and there are reasons for that. One, the media ownership does not appear on most occasions to be so seriously interested in investigative journalism for whatever reasons. Two, you look at commercialization that pervades almost all government media organizations or the broadcast media sector.
Naturally, most of our people are more attuned to the broadcast media than the print media and the broadcast media mostly controlled by the government tend to neglect or manipulate the law establishing them. They don’t even follow the law because some people somewhere who appeared to be powerful think that is how things should go. And because of that, investigative journalism is dead because you have to pay and nobody can pay for him to be investigated.
Again, there are also some powerful individuals that seem to be controlling issues in the media. The issue of ethics has been relegated to the background and at the end of the day, you have Nigerians relying on “he said, he described, he lamented, he emphasized, all hands must be on deck.” Instead of becoming agenda setters, you become agenda followers. We don’t lead, we are always following other people, particularly the politicians. This is an area we must address squarely and that cannot happen except we have the capacity and we are resolute to stand by our words.
Do you think the review of curriculum will improve journalism?
It may improve, because if our students are well-equipped they will be able to do their work. But there must always be the environment for one to practise. It is one thing for me to train a student in investigative journalism and graduate him. But by the time he finds himself in a government owned radio station or newspaper or even in a private media organization where they are not interested in investigation, what will he do?
So, we need to strengthen bodies like the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Guild of Editors and others. They have to be far more independent and stop collecting money from the government, stop patronizing government houses or following governors all over the place.
Once we have strong bodies that can defend and stand by their members whenever anybody wants to deal with them, it will give the journalists a courageous spirit. Our judiciary must be strong and be able to protect our journalists so that if you are brutalized, the court will be able to defend you. These are agencies that can help to strengthen investigative journalism but in a situation where the environment is fully insecure no matter how courageous you are, you cannot. Going into Sambisa forest, in Borno state will be too much of courage, so, you need some kind of cover.
The equipments in most mass communication departments in schools are obsolete. What is being done to upgrade them?
Some of the schools have improved but there are many more schools that are yet to improve. Some of these things depend on the interest of those who are leading the schools or the enterprising attitude of the leaders. I can tell you, in Bayero University for example, the Vice Chancellor is about to spend over N630 million on developing the faculty of mass communication and the programme is on.
Lagos has also secured grants from UNESCO and other bodies to develop its mass communication department which is a multi-media centre of excellence now. We tried sometime back to start a radio station in Maiduguri but most of the schools need to do more. But you cannot blame them because of the little resources available to them. The polytechnics are on strike right now and one of the reasons is for their equipment and facilities to be improved. It is not a one-man affair; the government must do its own part and the institutions must partner with other bodies.