The press and fictitious journalism

IT is called either junk journalism, gutter journalism, para-journalism, jaundiced journalism, new-wave journalism, i-feel-alright journalism or gossip journalism. Called by whatever name, the Nigerian version of soft sell magazines, whose rise in the media industry was pioneered by Muyiwa Adetiba’s Prime People magazine in 1986, has taken the country by storm.  Hardly researched for depth and verified, virtually all stories published by junk magazines are mainly hype. They are crude and sensational. And as the junk magazine fire spreads, no one is safe and no rumour is too blatant for their writers to splash as “Authentic”, “Authoritative”, “Breaking” and “Exclusive” reports.

The junk journalism reports have caused heartaches for victims, broken homes and wrecked relationships. And it is making it difficult for many serious journalists to identify themselves in the public as a member of the Fourth Estate of the Realm.  Public respect for the profession is draining fast. In homes, offices, and social gatherings, doors are slammed on journalists.  Celebrities, fearing a bash from snoopers, are cautious in attending social gatherings. They mind their tongues and watch their actions for fear of junk journalists and their informants who would be lurking in the corner. Journalism, which in recent years has been emerging from the perception by the public as a trade for the flotsams, jetsams and lay-abouts of the society, is again being submerged in the murky waters of fictitious journalism.

The Nigerian media are reputed to be the most courageous and resilient in Africa. But they have not always abided faithfully by the canons of the   profession. Reputable international newsmagazines have equally fallen victims of rumour mongers and fake authors who not only claim thousands of Dollars to sell “Exclusive” reports that turn out to be hoaxes, but also force buyers to tuck in their tails.  Time and Newsweek magazines, Times of London and Die Spiegel of Germany once bought and published what turned out to be a fake diary of the dictator, Adolf Hitler. Soft-sell magazines abound in the developed countries too. In the United States, the National Enquirer, Playboy, and The Star are in the hot pursuit of politicians, celebrities, and Holywood stars, just as the British celebrities are under constant watch by the Daily Mirror and The Sun.

The fact, however, is that majority of soft-sell magazine readers are women and youths who have little love for the hard economic and political stories published by serious newspapers and magazines. Recent developments in the soft sell magazines and the social media are worrisome. There appears to be current gossip, profane issues and deliberate vilification and attacks on persons and personalities in some sections of the social media. A good look at some of our social media platforms leads one to a chilling conclusion that we may be in danger of the social media to divert attention. Platforms and platforms are filled with fabricated stories that are intended to cause disaffection for and hatred of constituted authority.

Journalists should take cognisance of the sensitivity of our society. They must recognise that with freedom goes national responsibility of a higher order, and attempts to exacerbate provocative situations and issues must be drastically minimised to avoid conflict that will drain our energies. The press should aim at the building of a new modern society instead of supporting dubious political opinions or interests.  The serious newspapers and magazines, the opinion moulders of the societies which sometimes set the social agenda, are the least of the beloved of the public.  Their circulation figures trail, generally, behind those of the serious press. The popular press does a good job of earning good money but the soft-sell newspapers and magazines do a roaring business of peddling murk, murk the discerning public is prepared to pay for. What is it in human beings that make them take gossip more seriously than what affects their daily lives? And whatever happened to class and taste? We may never know the answer.

We are prepared to pay to be deceived and defrauded because our desire to be entertained by gossip outweighs our desire to be educated. While we celebrate the seasonal proclamation that “the people must be informed” as Wilbur Schramm put it, let us take a step further to ensure that “all the issues must be explained.” So, why not let the people be informed with all the issues explained and based on our proper understanding and knowledge of the issues at stake. Let us even take in the great Lord’s Biblical admonition: “Say not thou; what is the cause that the former days were better than these? For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.” Ecclesiastes 7:10. Junk journalism and the social media are not only assaults on privacy; they are threatening to deal the profession a mortal blow.

• Durojaiye, a journalist writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State, via durojaiye.rotimi @yahoo.com