NEWSPAPER OWNERSHIP AND EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TIDE AND GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

Editorial freedom or independence is the concept that editors-in-chief should have full authority over the editorial content of their journal.  Like individual and national freedom or independence, it is a rhetorical concept whose realization flows from internal achievement as much as it depends on external validation.  From  cover  to  cover, editors have the right “to decide what is published, what is not published when items are published, and what (if any) amendments are made prior to publication,” but they are constrained to “work within social, legal and ethical frameworks that circumscribe their freedom” and make them accountable, “indifferent but interlocking ways, to their  publishers,  readers  and  contributors  –  and  also  to more abstract overseers: the medical profession, science, and society.” This freedom entails roles and responsibilities (response-ability;  the ability to respond)  embodied in specific codes of practice for editors, such as the guidelines espoused by the  International  Committee of  Medical Journal  Editors  (ICMJE)  and the  World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). The calling to embody these guidelines makes editing,  in effect,  a  vocation  –  a  term that aptly describes burning both the “midnight oil” and the “candle at both ends” that all too familiarly mark the professional and personal life of any editor worth his or her salt. It also involves burning bridges, as the following lines convey: “journal editors walk a fine line.  They must aspire to impartiality, open-mindedness, and intellectual honesty. They must try to select material for its merit, interest to readers, and originality alone. They also want their journals to have a voice and a personality.  If they are doing their jobs well,  they should give no favors,  and they should have no friends”. Thus, in its purest sense, true editorial independence demands isolation and distancing, as “editors who make final decisions about manuscripts must have no personal, professional, or financial involvement in any of the issues they might judge.”   This self-imposed separation and solitude involve bracketing one’s biases, prejudgments and preconceptions to enable evaluation of the material at hand. With such detachment (contra attachment) comes real freedom; to the extent that the editor is not beholden to person or power, office or opinion; he or she is free. Such freedom requires a moral fiber and trustworthiness that upholds truth and right, whether in full view of public scrutiny or in the aloneness of private secrecy. “Because medical editors bear some of the responsibility for the reliability of published research and,  in turn,  for the care of patients,  the health of the public, allocation of resources, and standards of medical ethics and professional behavior,  editors must be trustworthy. To preserve this trust, an editor must avoid giving favors, must not be beholden to any special-interest group, and must be willing to publish articles on controversial subjects, even if they involve the organization that owns and publishes the journal”.

The media play a central role in promoting freedom of thought and expression in every society. They offer opportunities for citizens to access information on relevant political, economic and cultural information. This information, in turn, becomes critical for the growth, development, and prosperity of a nation as an informed citizenry is more apt to contribute to national development. Public service media constitute one of the key agents for providing citizens with information, education, and entertainment that is free of commercial, State or political influences and biases.

However, in most African countries, public service television has been transformed into State broadcasting where the State has exerted full control and influence on all aspects of the working of the national broadcaster. This has significantly restricted the freedom of national broadcasters in their programming, reporting, and operations. In order to ensure that a public service broadcaster does not function as a state broadcaster, it is essential to guarantee the editorial independence of national broadcasters. However, through both overt and covert means, many governments have controlled television for promoting their own political and economic interests. Another recent trend, among most national broadcasters, has been to seek funding through commercial revenue and advertising. This has also diverted these public service and State broadcasters from their original mission and mandate.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

In Nigeria, there are three main types of media ownership namely, Government ownership, Private ownership, and mixed ownership. In the case of government ownership, the media house is established, controlled and financed by the government, which the private ownership is when an individual or a group of persons establish, finance and control the media house. That of mixed ownership is when both government and private individuals are into some sort of partnership regarding establishing, financing and controlling the media house.

The researcher agrees with the ideas of Nnanyelugo Okon and Ben Agbo authors of “writing for the media society”. They wrote that “it is obviously true that mass media owners exert a threatening control medium is managed by a board of directors appointed by private owners or by public cooperation established by the government…

This work will go further to elaborate on media ownership influences on editorial policies in the chapters ahead.

We should understand that media ownership influence is exercised through financial control, the appointment of principal staff, and government legislative decrees. In this circumstance, the media in question are either print or electronics and taking cognizance of the fact that the nature of ownership of any medium lies as the determining factor on how the medium shall operate. It is therefore worthy to note that this ownership pattern will no doubt influence the editorial policies of such a medium.

In agreement with the dictum that he who pays the piper, dictates the fone. The media house whether owned by the government, individuals or both would no doubt be made to propagate and promote the ideas, personalities, and projects of the owners and it can also be achieved through the house styles and editorial policies of the media house.

Editorial policies can be said to be those plans of actions meant to control the editorial matters of the media house, adopted by the board Directors and endorsed by the publisher(s) or owner(s). According to Ben Agbo and Nnanyelugo Okon in their same text, Editorial policy is the path a newspaper elects to follow as it answers the two basic questions:

What shall we publish?

How shall we publish?

Worth reference to my case study, “Announcer Newspaper” which qualifies as a print medium following the characteristics of newspaper laid down by Nkem Fab Ukozor and Ben Agbo, authors of Mass communication purpose, principles, and practice. They wrote quoting a German Schokr, Otta Grota for determining a true newspaper are as follows:

The newspaper must be published regularly at least once a week

That the newspaper must be mechanically produced, be available to any price.

Vary in content such that the content will interest the larger audience, be published at specified times.

The publisher of “Announcer newspaper”, Dr. Ezeani has appointed a Board of Directors whose duty is to formulate editorial policies as they (i.e those policies) suit him. He established the newspaper sometime in 2003.

As a politician, (ie the publisher) such editorial policies have been formulated to favor his political structure and ideas so as to project him to higher political positions. The publisher of the announcer newspaper has employed the services of an editor, who maintains the house style of the newspaper and operates within the editorial policy limits as formulated by the board.

Still on the “Announcer Newspaper”, the editor is answerable to the Editor-in-chief who is there to see that the newspaper operates according to the laid down (editorial) policy. The editor is expected to resign and leave if he is no longer disposed to such editorial policies of this paper and not to bend it. Every Monday morning, there is usually an editorial board meeting at the announcer newspaper conference hall. The meeting is an avenue uses to make appraisals on the current edition and to resolve on the news to use for both front and back pages, (lead stories), etc for the next edition.

The Editor will only make his professional input but must dance to the tune of the publisher through the Editor-in-chief in terms of editorial matters.

In “Announcer Newspaper”, the editor will be asked to write the views and ideas of the publisher informed of editorial and or comments, which stands out invariably to represent as the voice of the newspaper on any particular issue. Surprisingly, the editorial or comments may not even be the ideas of the writer (Editor) but he must do it as directed or he resigns or gets sacked. The announcer newspaper editorial policy as it concerns stories on governments ate not static. The newspaper criticizes government when it sees negative things and turns to praise the same government if it sees positive approaches.

In order words, balance, fairness, and facts can still be associated with the Announcer Newspaper, but not when it has anything to do with the individual owner. In this case, selfish motives overweigh decisions and judgments. This has necessitated research on the topic of media ownership and its influence on editorial policy with a case study of Announcer Newspaper.

The Announcer Newspaper has reached some understanding with both state and local governments of Imo state in such a manner that the medium can be getting some adverts from these quarters and in this circumstance, the newspaper will no longer hit hard at the aforestated in order not to destroy the mass media rapport.

Nevertheless, Editorial policy, determinants are the nature of readership, proprietorship, competition/lack of if, Geographical location, economic interest, and political outlook, just like I said earlier, editorial policy is all about what shall be published and how it shall be published. Their editorial policies are often expressed through the following:

News-stories the paper carries.

Cartoons the paper carries

The paper’s slogan (motto), which is often carried in the nameplate or below the masthead.

The platform code where the paper enumerates the number of projects or principles for which it stands.

All Newspapers have editorial policies, which are however influenced by the ownership of the Newspaper. “Announcer Newspaper”, my case study has its own editorial policy which is highlighted in the paper and how the ownership of the media has a house is also being influenced is highlighted in the paper.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Based on the research made, sponsorship of the media house, its control, and recruitment of its principal staff have formed the influential factors consequent upon the editorial policy of the media house since the owner(s) of the media house usually does or does the afore-stated factors. The media ownership has, therefore in some ways influenced the editorial policy and this has posed problems to journalism as a trade.

In this case, the editorial writing has to function with the policy framework and editorial principles. Nothing runs the editor down as having the option of either doing it the way the policy dictates or he resigns or otherwise sacked.

The influence of media ownership on the editorial policy have made many newspapers to collapse in operations and has also made them lose their readership grip. In the case of an Announcer Newspapers, as a privately owned Newspaper, if dies not to have so many policies that usually affect its readership except that it's front and back page stories are centered on Imo state. Often times, it faces the stiff competition of the national and other local newspapers.

Again, people from other states would always see the purchase of the newspaper as a waste since it does not usually spread their tentacles.

According to the staff of “Announcer Newspaper”, the publisher (owner) brings to the production room when it is already time for production. This delays the production of the paper.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

In summary, this research work is a comparative analysis of tide and guardian newspaper on newspaper ownership and editorial independence, and to study the correlation between tide and Guardian newspaper. Other research objectives are listed below as follows:

1.     This work is aimed at highlighting on ways by which newspaper ownership manages its editorial policy.

2.     To give some information on the extent (based on research influence) an editorial policy has gone into destroying journalistic principles. Vis-à-vis the consequences of such cases.

3.     It would also act as a meditating factor and would go as much as proffering solution forwards checking these excesses.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This research work will present in a precise manner, newspaper ownership and editorial independence on writing and publishing. It is believed that the findings of this research work should provide detailed information on the effects of newspaper ownership and editorial independence in publication. It is also expected that the study will benefit newspaper owners, editors, researchers and the society in general.

The findings of the study should be useful to editors. It is expected that the findings will expose the editorial independence in publication and writing and the right to their selves. By this exposure, the editors could acknowledge the limits to their boundary and judiciary. It is possible that by this outcome the editors would realistically adjust to the application and policy of their independence. Subsequently, it will go a long way to enhance the mass communication and journalism students’ effectiveness in society by being capable of carrying out what they have learned, thereby contributing to the building up of the society at the local, national and international levels.

The research will also be beneficial to the researcher. This is because the study will expose the researcher to so many related areas in the course of carrying out his research. This will enhance the researcher’s experience, knowledge, and understanding of editorial independence.