BY
AYENI ADEKUNLE SAMUEL CEO, BHM GROUP
Honoraria. Flava.
Keske. T-fare. Brown Envelope.
These are just some
of the code names by which cash exchange for editorial coverage is known in
Nigeria.
In a country where
there are over 50 newspapers and magazines on the
newsstands, hundreds of radio and TV stations, and an ocean of blogs and
websites, it is no surprise that the media environment is industrious.
Everyone wants to be
in the media - politicians, motivational speakers, consumers, brands,
entertainers, pastors, even bankers, fraudsters and climbers.
To be frank, only few
deserve coverage, but in a country where a tabloid journalist earns less than $100 per month, where most newspapers owe up to six months'
salaries, and TV stations pay tokens for wages, it is no surprise that the
number of reporters and editors patronizing their subjects has been on the increase.
Some of the busiest
journalists are freelance agents; securing advert placements, planting news and
features in their journals, managing celebrities and consulting for banks and
politicians. Many of their bosses are aware of these activities - if not
equally guilty.
According to a May 2015 report by the Nigerian
Union of Journalists, about 9 Nigerian newspapers owed salaries up to 18
months.
The media scene is a
mess and the public relations industry in Nigeria is a beneficiary. Driven by a
news conference and press release culture, PR pros in these parts have mastered
how to speak the language of envelopes. For decades, they have connived with poorly
remunerated reporters and struggling publishers to fill papers and magazines
with promotional content that scarcely catches the interest of the readers.
There are now about 50 agencies registered with Public Relations
Consultants' Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), the body recognized by
government to regulate PR consultancy in Nigeria. Yet, there are hundreds more,
practicing in every sector, without certification by NIPR or PRCAN.
A 2015 BHM Survey
estimates that around 1,900 press releases are issued per day in Nigeria. Most
of these are from politicians, corporate organizations and celebrities.
Journalists on every
beat are bombarded with emails and phone calls requesting priority. Usually,
only those from 'friendly' sources make it into the pages in consequence of
bank alerts, gifts and promises. Most of the time, the press releases are
announcing a new product, countering a report, promoting a new artiste, or an
event.
In 2013, three top 10
agencies paid out over $250,000. One year after, the figure could have
quadrupled for each of these agencies.
Meanwhile, newspaper
sales continue to drop at an alarming rate. At least, five print publications –
The News, Entertainment Express, Sunday Express, PM News, Y!,- have gone under
in the past year; many have reduced frequency of publication while others are
shutting down presses and cutting staff. After publishing for five years,
Nigerian Entertainment Today is shutting down its weekly print edition to focus
fully on digital operations.
PR agencies are not
doing any better. Many are unable to keep senior staff due to poor
remuneration. Salaries are owed regularly - a sad reality for an industry that
pays less than half what advertising pays. Just as it is in the media, some of
the brightest talents in PR have fled in search of better packages.
The verdict is clear
- consumers don't care about press releases. Consumers only care about
themselves and what is important to them. When agencies and media began to bore
audiences, they wasted no time in switching to an alternative: blogs and
websites, which spoke their language.
Elsewhere, in the
United States and England, agencies are embracing story-telling and big ideas.
Agencies are news jacking, blogging and breaking the Internet. The press
release has been murdered and buried. Elsewhere, bribery is a sin and if it
does happen at all, it is clandestine with clear understanding of implications.
Moreover, PR is
driven by clear strategy and clear measurement indices. Media is driven by
circulation figures and ethics. Those who practice otherwise are the exception,
not the norm as it is here in Nigeria.
Nigerian Institute of
Public Relations (NIPR) and PRCAN are working hard to cleanse the practice and
lead the industry into the future. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and
other associations are working to ensure organizations treat their journalists
better, and more than a few agencies are determined to execute campaigns that
meet current global standards.
Great case studies
are emerging from Nigeria. Little agencies are doing big things and interests
in membership for NIPR and PRCAN is at an all time high.
But experts claim
some things will need to happen before we experience this big
transformation.
- Journalists will have to be better trained and remunerated.
- PR professionals will need to embrace new thinking - we will need to think and behave like copywriters, filmmakers, storytellers, comedians, designers, editors and bloggers
- Regulation will have to be stringent to make it more difficult for quacks to find and keep business.
- PR consultancies will have to be better funded and run. There will have to be mergers, acquisitions and partnerships.
- Training, according to all the experts surveyed, is at the centre of it all. We all -media, agencies, regulators - must invest in training and tools if we are to change our stories and change our lives. All three must work together to create the kinds of experience that will lure the audiences back.
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