Last week, precisely October 27, 2021, I gladly honoured an invitation from the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) to speak at this year’s Kano Social Influencers Summit (KANSIS2021) on the topic: “Online Newspapers: Are They Reporting the News or They Are the News?” The Summit which dwelt essentially on harnessing enhancing Nigerian youth’s access to digital technology in order to deepen democracy for enhanced accountability and transparency in Nigeria, was convened by CITAD in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation. Below is a re-captioned and adapted form of the presentation at a session chaired by Prof Jibrin Ibrahim. Happy reading!
I would like to preface this brief presentation by appreciating the Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Mallam Y.Z. Ya’u, and his entire team, for the invitation extended to us at National Record, to not only participate and address this session of the Kano Social Influencers Summit, but even more for the overall idea, vision and planning of KANSIS.
I must be frank in acknowledging that your invitation has given our small team a huge, huge boost. We see it as an appreciation of the fact that we are on the right track in our modest efforts at public-interest journalism.
As an online newspaper platform, we are in total agreement with CITAD in its quest to broaden the digital space so as to create mass awareness, the opportunity and required environment vital for the consolidation of one of the most essential elements of democracy – freedom of expression. Achieving this will certainly translate to the inevitable empowerment of our citizens to be able to hold to account those in positions of authority in both public and private spheres of our economy.
Where there had been animosity, and of recent, even threats to my life from some trade union leaders due to our direction and focus, coupled with the enormous stress as a result of our lean capacity for the gigantic tasks we’ve set for ourselves, CITAD’s invitation, I must confess, has helped to not only strengthen our flagging resolve, but also served as a great inspiration for creative energy.
We would like to applaud CITAD and appreciate it for its laudable initiatives in in the advocacy and campaign for digital awareness, digital literacy and availability as indicated in the central theme and the array of sub-themes put together for this Summit. There can never be a better time than now to convoke a forum for conversations around digital economy, digital governance and digital citizenship, all of which are aimed at consolidating democracy and its deliverables to Nigerian masses in the context of the realities since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As an online newspaper platform, National Record is in total agreement with CITAD in its quest to broaden the digital space so as to create mass awareness, the opportunity and required environment vital for the consolidation of one of the most essential elements of democracy – freedom of expression. Achieving this will certainly translate to the inevitable empowerment of our citizens to be able to hold to account those in positions of authority in both public and private spheres of our political economy.
From a personal experience in print journalism that spanned 20 years, and online journalism that is barely one and half years, my answer will be a categorical “yes” to the question: “Online Newspapers: Are They Reporting the News or They Are the News?”
First and foremost, I would like to point out that this is a two-in-one question, and would like to take the liberty to break it into the two distinct questions to unequivocally interrogate them one after the other. Therefore, I will re-frame the question thus: “Are online newspapers reporting the news?” “Are online newspapers the news?” My answer to both questions still remains a resounding “yes!”
Are online newspapers reporting the news?
I think the natural starting point in answering this question is to define briefly what constitutes ‘news’ without being academic. This is only necessary so that we don’t take for granted that what online newspapers are doing fits the concept of news reporting or not.
To both the layman and the professional, ‘news’ is information about current events, and that as the word implies, ‘news’ typically connotes the presentation of new information. News may be provided through word of mouth, print, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events.
I think the logic behind conceptualising that question lies deeply in the powerful influence and transformative dynamics of digital publishing on postmodern societies. The scale at which this is happening, no doubt is ‘News’. We live in a world in which digital technology has literally collapsed national borders, creating a borderless society where people practically and increasingly cohabit and seamlessly share ideas, participate in discussions and engage in any type of activity virtually online, either through the social media or directly on websites.
News come from all spheres of human endeavour – governance, politics, education, health, environment, economy, business, fashion, sports and other forms of entertainment, crime, violence or war, etc. The value attached to news, essentially imposes on it an “uncertain quality” that differentiates it from research studies of, for instance, history, science or other disciplines, which, in contemporary journalism, especially when it is ground-breaking, also constitute news’.
This is because, in postmodernist view, news is often expected to address aspects of reality which seem unusual or odd, deviant or out of the ordinary. It is in this sense that the concept of news is usually illustrated with the famous dictum that: “Dog Bites Man” is not news, but “Man Bites Dog” is.
From the foregoing, there is no ambiguity or doubt on the functionality of online newspapers as transmitters of news. This fact is more vigorously proven in the prevailing context in which practically all historically traditional print newspapers have also transited to operating online versions which, in addition to reproducing their contents in both their print and online platforms, also have mechanisms of keeping some degree of vigil on news beats to report events as they unfold on their websites either as Breaking News or as News Updates.
In addition, many print newspaper organisations, especially in advanced economies are scaling down on their print operations and gradually transiting towards online-only operations in line with the realities of digital technology which is increasingly rendering print insignificant. This not only indicates that online newspapers are reporting the news; it confirms that online newspapers may be a major prop of journalism.
Are online newspapers the news?
Answering yes to this leg of the question demands some degree of explanation for emphasis. My understanding of this question is that, though they report the news, online newspapers, have by themselves, and in conjunction with social media, become news, arguably in a more positive and progressive way than may have been imagined.
I think the logic behind conceptualising that question lies deeply in the powerful influence and transformative dynamics of digital publishing on postmodern societies. The scale at which this is happening, no doubt is ‘News’. We live in a world in which digital technology has literally collapsed national borders, creating a borderless society where people practically and increasingly cohabit and seamlessly share ideas, participate in discussions and engage in any type of activity virtually online, either through the social media or directly on websites.
If anything, online newspapers, as news, has really made the world a ‘global village’. This is more in relation to not just the ground-breaking pace at which news is being unravelled but even more so in the equally ground-breaking number of people that can be effortlessly reached by just a click. It is like folding a newspaper and toasting it to the guy on the next table. But this guy is practically in another continent!
Online newspapers have completely eliminated the challenges of production and circulation logistics which are critical components of traditional newspaper operations in the effort to process news and pass them from the press to newsstands in towns and cities. Abridging these two processes makes online newspapers very popular, convenient and powerful instruments or change agents for influencing every segment of the society, most particularly the millennials, who are hooked up to the Internet for information and entertainment on mainly social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp, among others.
I must say, without intending any pessimism, that well-meaning veterans of the movement, progressive intellectuals must as a matter of urgency team up with a crop of very few committed trade unionists to clean up the movement by themselves or allow government to do so in its image, or, God forbid, allow a total and possibly irreversible decay to persist.
In addition to the above, online newspapers are ‘news’ because:
- They have led to a geometric rise in readership, thereby successfully democratising information in a manner that the major obstacles to access to information remain digital efficiency and data affordability. Outside these two, I am yet to see any Nigerian online newspaper with a pay wall.
- Because it is less capital intensive, online newspapers have also helped in democratising ownership, leading to expanded space for independent narratives, intense focus and objective interrogation of issues at various levels.
- They offer themselves more as platforms for citizen journalism, where members of the public, armed with their mobile devices (cell phones, ipads and laptops), complement the work of beat reporters by recording and reporting events real time.
- They are by nature global and have succeeded, with the aid of social media, in pulling down information dissemination barriers across boundaries and the various demographics in society.
- They are more disposed to investigating and breaking sensitive stories, particularly on corruption and other unethical practices. This is clearly a radical departure from print journalism that is more focused on politics.
- They are better and more willing platforms for education, advocacy and mobilisation for mass action for social change and demand for accountability from both public and private institutions.
The future of online newspapers in Nigeria
With digital technology penetration at an all-time high; and with young people, united by digital gadgets, dominating digital space made more attractive by new media that have turned out to be the premium vehicles for conversation and other forms of human engagement, the potentials for online newspapers are limitless.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that children are accessing the internet at increasingly younger ages, and that smartphones are young people’s gadget of choice, guaranteeing easy online access and are more private.
Nigeria is one of the African countries in which the Internet and digital media penetration has been increasing in leaps and bounds. The country accounts for close to 30% of internet penetration in Africa.
According to DATAREPORTAL, there were, as at January 2021, 104.4 million internet users in Nigeria out of a total population of 208.8 million then. The same report gave Nigeria’s social media statistics to be 33.00 million users then, an equivalent of 15.8% of the then total population. These numbers are good ‘news’ not only for social media handles but also for online newspaper publishers in Nigeria, which strongly suggest that young people who represent the future are likely to depend on online newspapers rather than print.
The obvious popularity of online journalism and the transition of almost all the print newspapers to the digital world point to a positive future for online newspapers. Online platforms have found their niche in daring investigative reports and originality of their news. Kperogi notes that the popularity of Nigerian online newspapers is a consequence of the originality of their news reporting just as they offer their platforms for critical commentary as well as their detachment from and non-affiliation with political parties and politicians.
Challenges to effectiveness and sustainability of online newspapers
While online newspapers are cheaper to operate, very effective platforms for seamless dissemination and amplification of information because of their spread, there are also very notable obstacles before them. These include, among others the following:
Challenge of focus – Most online newspapers are unable to define and maintain focus on what they represent or stand for. This can lead to distraction, dissipation of energy and lack of originality, which may affect quality and depth of news on the platform. Having a clear understanding of the dynamics, special traits of areas of interest can affect quality of reporting which can attract and sustain an active readership base over time.
Lack of ethical principles of journalism – When this is not there, it takes away credibility. There must be consistency in due diligence, fairness, and consistency.
Lack of courage, audacity and positive aggression – Are the gatekeepers courageous enough to challenge the status quo, to face threats, insults and call the bluff of vested interests or resist pressure of mentors who might be called upon to exert influence on the content?
Funding – Newspapers, both print and online, must necessarily have multiple streams of income with the major ones coming from advertisement and subscription. The biggest challenge facing online newspapers, despite rising online readership, is lack of adverts or where available, far less expensive than print. While the quest for income has led to a trend called clickbait, a survival strategy online newspapers use to lure users to click on a link and read, view, or listen to the linked piece of online content. It is meant to drive traffic on the principle that the more people visit a website, the more it can charge for advertising. The gain may only be short-term, as long-term use has the capacity to impact negatively on credibility.
Conclusion
I will conclude my remarks by stressing the fact that were it not for the opportunities offered by the revolutionary potentials of online newspaper publication, National Record, would not have emerged. For me, that perfectly illustrates the logic of the concept in the question: Are online newspapers reporting the news or they are the news?
My modest experience in journalism, which includes brief but interesting experiences in public service and the trade union arena, combine to define my current station as an online newspaper publisher. National Record, as a product of that experience, has set as a core agenda a mission of offering itself as a broadminded but ideologically clear platform for independent journalism, beginning with concentrated focus on the activities of trade unions, the expression of emancipatory views by workers and all working class elements on, and about, the politics that affect them.
Beyond this rhetoric, however, is the stark reality in the labour and trade union movement which, simply put, is tragic, and is impacting very negatively on our political economy. I must say, without intending any pessimism, that well-meaning veterans of the movement, progressive intellectuals must as a matter of urgency team up with a crop of very few committed trade unionists to clean up the movement by themselves or allow government to do so in its image, or, God forbid, allow a total and possibly irreversible decay to persist.
