Online news platforms and journalism of the future

BY MUKAILA ABDULKAREEM

For indiscretion and sensationalism, on the graves of some notable Nigerian online news platforms will this epigraph be written, ‘In spite of the professional accomplishments of its founding fathers, this news platform reigned for indecorous reportage of events and status as a tool in the hands of coercers. Although it thrived on the back of the internet revolution, gaining commercial patronage and remunerating relationship for editorial staff; this news platform later died of the shock caused by distrust and outright rejection by the reading public following the discovery of its self-serving agenda’.

Many practitioners and journalism students who in future will pore over the history of the dead platforms in public discourse and research work will discover that the news platforms were unprofessional and indecent in their practices. The discovery, although will jolt many because of the assumed self-importance of the promoters of the platforms, but the resultant demystification of the platforms will compel meditation; and make the students, who will become future journalists, restore the dignity of online journalism in Nigeria through professionalism.

In the era to come, traditional journalistic practices will remain the substratum of journalism in whatever form it is practiced, either online or offline. The exuberance, sparked by the quest to just break stories; even when unconfirmed, would have been established as a reason for the demise of some leading online news platforms and permanent departure of dignity from frontline editors. Real human beings, with conscience and purpose will be at the helms of affairs, and would rather err on the side of caution, rather than rush to breast the tape with an unconfirmed story, and later seek to ameliorate destruction of another person’s reputation with a corrigendum.

The importance of truth over currency of information will become a key consideration in editorial decision making processes, because the reading public have been so disappointed to a degree of cynicism that can bury any blameworthy news platforms in oblivion and strip journalists of dignity.

Fact-checking will become an essential requirement for journalistic excellence. Moderation will be brought to wild headline-casting in the name of creativity because the reading public is appalled by the mischief behind the meandering of facts motivated by the hunt for readers’ attention. Often times, unrelated events are yoked together, and people’s privacy intruded through forced-link to a development they are unconnected with, just to profit from sensationalism!

This indecency will end with the dying generation of editorial merchants, posing as professionals. Future journalism will place higher demands on the sprouting generation of certified journalists, who witnessed and learnt from the disgraceful exit of the editorial bandits that exploited the society, through deliberate manipulation, misinformation and extortion.

The abhorrent writings that flowed from their mindless pens will come up in universities and other higher institutions of learning, where journalism is taught to students at a pre-career level as samples of how not to practice a noble profession. On its face value, the hypocrisy and corruption behind the well -written copies, beautified by quality punctuation that give them a legitimate sense of perfection, because of the appropriateness of their placements in the editorials, will not be evident.

However, the troubling reality of seeing no one stepping forward for these ‘accomplished’ journalists, when real friendship is needed will reveal to the world the that the influence or relationship they thought they had was practice-induced fear, mistaken for respect.

Journalism is a profession for individuals with minds of service. Our aspiration to a better society has attributed as much nobility to journalism as the medical profession. For both trades are fated to heal, cure and make well, even when one focuses on lives, the other tends to the society.

Interestingly, the medical profession has earned greater importance because journalistic practices in Nigerian have refused to take its place. As a ‘physician’, with the dexterity to intervene in, and resolve complex social issues, journalism understated its influence in Nigeria, through noxious practices, ranging from anti-social agenda-setting, to commissioned onslaught on innocent citizens.

Our traditional and online news channels, domiciled home, abroad and in the deserts, have become courts; where judgments are passed on people. Instead of maintaining the sacred status of a pendulum, only swayed by the truth and pursuit of social justice, columnists have become pipers, moving rhythmically to tunes played by the interests providing starch for the attires of the Bosses. They feed fat from access to newspaper pages, while betraying their professional calling of instigating and maintaining social justice.

They jump on every success story, or consciously cultivate the friendship of every seemingly influential person in the society. Rather than investigate and bring wrongdoings and cases of oppression to public glare for redress, the browbeaten, whose voices they feigned to be, are scorned and betrayed by the selfish pursuit of wealth and association with the oligarch and powerful in the society.

For their deliberate compromise, which is noted as favours by their paymasters, focus on social development and human dignity is interrupted by frequent alerts of financial gratification and commercial patronage. The wild taste and satisfaction generated by these spoils destroy the moral values of the several contractors masquerading as journalists, and replace the fertility of their minds with a dimension of vanity that make them more dangerous to the society than the known enemies of social progress.

These perfidious characters proliferate the Nigerian journalism skyline like the number of stars in the galaxy. They package their vile agenda in a premium tone and propagated it with the intensity of the Sahara Desert wind, just to gain attention and compel targets to negotiate their names out of the packaged falsehood. This would not have been if the Nigerian legal system had actually apportioned an non-negotiable 50-year jail term to a mudslinger, regardless of the cover of his/her professed profession. People’s lives, families and careers are brought down at a higher rate by the pens than guns in Nigeria.

Lest I become guilty of sensationalism and stupid generalization condemned in this piece, I must admit that we still have a few decent professionals in journalism in Nigeria. However, they have not adequately spoken against the threat posed by dishonorable practices to the profession. Rather, they have only cabled their integrity and conscience to offering insightful and live commentaries that could drive social advancement, while no loud proclamation has been made against objectionable journalistic practices in Nigeria.

The priest who is seen quietly walking out of a brothel may not be entirely free from public of assumption patronage for ejaculatory relief, except the alibi created by the loudness of his voice during his evangelism in the land of sinful pleasure. Honestly speaking, the remaining senior journalists and Editors at the nations’ media establishments need to do more to save journalism in Nigeria. The responsibility of sanitizing the space is their duty.

With his years of experience and record of personal integrity, the witty columnist who daily edits a leading Matori-based Newspaper can bear his influence on the industry. His piety has credited him with enough moral authority to lead others on a reflective journey towards restoring the dignity of journalistic practice in Nigeria.

Let’s save journalism in Nigeria.