Pulitzer winner's Nigeria newspaper stops printing


(AP)  LAGOS, Nigeria — A Nigerian newspaper run by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist stopped publication Sunday after 2½ years of muckracking and sometimes controversial coverage of Africa's most populous nation, the publisher said.

NEXT newspaper, printed in Lagos, did not appear on newsstands this weekend. Publisher Dele Olojede, a former foreign editor for New York's Newsday, said NEXT was "losing a lot of money" and decided to stop its print edition to reevaluate its finances.

Olojede said it was possible the newspaper could begin publishing again. However, the newspaper's advertising dwindled in recent months, forcing it from publishing six days a week to only on Sunday.

The newspaper's crusading political stance also hurt ad sales, as the salutatory advertisements heaping praise on politicians and the country's elite that fill other publications never made it into its editions.

"In this environment, where the government still occupies a disproportionally and distortionately large role in the economy, it has a ripple effect — said or unsaid," Olojede told The Associated Press. "The result is we've had a very tough time getting business."

He added: "We have to rethink our strategy and see how we can outsmart the system that seems so stuck against us."

NEXT began publishing its print edition in January 2009, focusing on government corruption in oil-rich Nigeria, a nation of 150 million. Its columnists, editorials and reporting set it apart from other Nigerian newspapers, where journalists often accept cash payments from interview subjects or "brown envelope" bribes slipped into briefing materials at news conferences.

The newspaper reached the zenith of its influence when it published an anonymously sourced story claiming late President Umaru Yar'Adua was "seriously brain damaged" and unable to govern while receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. The government attacked the newspaper. However, Yar'Adua never returned to power and died May 5, 2010.

The newspaper also published the U.S. diplomatic cables related to Nigeria obtained by WikiLeaks, causing another stir in the country.

Olojede, who won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2005 while at Newsday, said he hoped NEXT at least would continue to publish stories on its website.

"It's been an extraordinary adventure for us, really. We're going to stick with it and keep poking around to see if we can make a dent in the very many problems of this country," he said. "The country definitely needs, like oxygen, an independent and honest press. ,  The country is not going to go anywhere if money can just determine what the public knows or doesn't know."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/25/ap/africa/main20111320.shtml

This was another enemy of progres. I am glad that they are gone.

Unfortunate.

Blame it on GEJ.

LOL

One by one they will varnish.

^^^
Am trying very hard not to compare your GEJ government to that of abacha!

stifling free press into extinction

labeling any opposition as enemy of progress

grooming broods of sycophants

clueless on solving pressing national problems [which of course is not associated to abacha]

It seems we have a monster pretending to be a lamb in aso rock.

^^^

You obviously dont speak English,

pls, all would do well to ignore the mugu above me. He had nescafe this morning, instead of nestle

Johndoe100:

This was another enemy of progres. I am glad that they are gone.

Are you insane? NEXT is an enemy of progress?! In what world but an insane mind's? I can't imagine what the Nigerian diaspora would have done without NEXT during the tragicomedy of Yar'Adua's regime! NEXT spoke truth to power (until recently, I think) and the quality of its journalism was miles above any other Nigerian daily. It's a tragedy that there is no room for a publication like this in Nigeria. Its another demonstration of the effects of the malignant cancer that we call government on the country. Siphoning the government's wealth to private accounts in Dubai & Switzerland while starving the economy of infrastructure funding and policies that might stimulate private sector growth.

Quite unfortunate. At least they are still available online.

If a credible print media like NEXT go under just like that, I wonder what will ever survive in this country.

If a credible print media like NEXT go under just like that, I wonder what will ever survive in this country.

The ignorance of Nigerians (maybe even just nairalanders) is disturbing. Newspapers and print media all over the world are suffering - not just Nigeria. Next Newspaper is not a charity, it is suppose to business run for profit and like any other business has costs to cover; salaries, raaw materials, rents, power, etc if they cannot cover these costs with their income they will go bust simple.

I ask all those who are lamenting the demise of the printed version of Next Newspaper when last did any of you buy a copy of Next? when last did any of you place a advert in Next? even when last did any of you patronise anyone who placed a advert in Next? and you ask why it's closing.

I actually doff my hat to the publishers and bankers of Next who have been bank rolling this loss making publication for the past 2 years or so.

With the advent of the internet print media has suffered all over the world, not just Nigeria - the world is changing, wake up and smell the coffee.

i posted this on sunday and the fking spambot ate it

faithin9ja:

[color=#006600][/color]

The ignorance of Nigerians (maybe even just nairalanders) is disturbing. Newspapers and print media all over the world are suffering - not just Nigeria. Next Newspaper is not a charity, it is suppose to business run for profit and like any other business has costs to cover; salaries, raaw materials, rents, power, etc if they cannot cover these costs with their income they will go bust simple.

I ask all those who are lamenting the demise of the printed version of Next Newspaper when last did any of you buy a copy of Next? when last did any of you place a advert in Next? even when last did any of you patronise anyone who placed a advert in Next? and you ask why it's closing.

I actually doff my hat to the publishers and bankers of Next who have been bank rolling this loss making publication for the past 2 years or so.

With the advent of the internet print media has suffered all over the world, not just Nigeria - the world is changing, wake up and smell the coffee.

You forgot to mention high cost of generating power, insecurity, deliberate attempt by corrupt politicians to kill anything that bite them, lack of good distribution & networking system and so on. Are the aforementioned obtained everywhere in the world. Most of the print media doing well in Nigeria today are owed by one corrupt politician or the state.Mention 20 coy who have no affiliation with the government that have survived this kind of hash business atmosphere for past 3 years.

We can only move forward as a nation when we tell ourselves the truth and address it. Unemployed youths are crying everyday for jobs just because of a collapse system. Stop defending failure

NEXT newspapers is gone,Sahara reporters should be next.
They shouldnt blame government,is Sun newspapers not making money? Dont they criticize government like mad? PM news nko?
Its bad management and corruption on the side of Next's owners,tommorrow dem go dey say Nigerian government dey corrupt.
Rubbish

@Ournaija

you obviously did not read my post fully, I mentioned 'power' as one of the costs. However Next Newspaper (which I personally buy regularly especially Next on Sunday) is like every other business in Nigeria, all of us that own businesses have to contend with the same issues. If people like you refuse to patronize the business the business will fail.

I am not supporting failure only reality. I left UK to start my business in Nigeria 2 years ago, I don't have any government connections, it's been tough but I am surviving.

Government is just one of things that hamper business in Nigeria with so many so-called 'naija factor'. but if you wait for a magic wand that will correct over 50 years of bad government and inertia then there is no point in even starting.

I said in my post I respect the publishers and bankers of Next for their ability to keep trading for 2 years at a loss. BUT ultimately they backed the wrong horse, print media is not the way to go in the world today. The Sun newspaper in UK had a circulation over 6 million about 10 years ago, it's now down to 2 million - is Rupert Murdoch a bad businessman? or is it lack of government patronage that has reduced the readership?

Please face facts, Next newspaper is not being killed by government, but by the normally pressures of doing business in Nigeria and the worldwide dwindling market in print media. I ask you again when last did you buy a newspaper?

faithin9ja:

@Ournaija

you obviously did not read my post fully, I mentioned 'power' as one of the costs. However Next Newspaper (which I personally buy regularly especially Next on Sunday) is like every other business in Nigeria, all of us that own businesses have to contend with the same issues. If people like you refuse to patronize the business the business will fail.

I am not supporting failure only reality. I left UK to start my business in Nigeria 2 years ago, I don't have any government connections, it's been tough but I am surviving.

Government is just one of things that hamper business in Nigeria with so many so-called 'naija factor'. but if you wait for a magic wand that will correct over 50 years of bad government and inertia then there is no point in even starting.

I said in my post I respect the publishers and bankers of Next for their ability to keep trading for 2 years at a loss. BUT ultimately they backed the wrong horse, print media is not the way to go in the world today. The Sun newspaper in UK had a circulation over 6 million about 10 years ago, it's now down to 2 million - is Rupert Murdoch a bad businessman? or is it lack of government patronage that has reduced the readership?

Please face facts, Next newspaper is not being killed by government, but by the normally pressures of doing business in Nigeria and the worldwide dwindling market in print media. I ask you again when last did you buy a newspaper?

You can't honestly compare the Nigerian print business to the one in the UK. How many Nigerians get their news from the Internet? The bigger issue here is that NEXT is closing while many other government-bribed newspapers are thriving. That's the real tragedy here. It looks like newspapers must either change their business models to include regular government payouts (and control) to survive and that's just sad.

Hope they don't go offline too.

@faithin9ja

I have respect for all the entrepreneurs in Nigeria who are managing to survive with this kind of environment, and as such you have my respect. It not easy to create job for others here in Nigeria.

I work with coy with a vision to be on my own someday. I called a friend who shared same vision to join me because of the capital involved. We started a biz with no physical structure yet. We pulled all our savings into a project hoping to get our capital back before long. You know how difficult it is for starters to get loan from a bank here. There are too many Nigerian factors that have been frustrating us since we started.  The roads are bad, you must oil palms before contracts are awarded, area boys, insecurity, let leave police matter for another day.

On two occasions that we asked our men to deliver  power generating sets to two sites that we are constructing were robbed on their way, aside the usual area boys (omo onile) wahala that vary from region to region. Sometimes the lorry conveying goods will just tumble do to bad roads. Today we don't even know if we are at a loss or not because of so many factors that are militating against the business. The risk of running business on this land is too high. Sometimes you wouldn't be able to sleep at night just because you dont know what call you will receive from people working for you and the ones you are working for. I didn`t know all these until i tried it myself. Do you think we wouldn't do better if the business environment is favorable?


We are able to pay some of our bills today because we work in different companies that pay us salaries. What do you think will happen to us if we have no other source of income? Pack up like NEXT? We only manage to stay on the business  because of our believe in the vision. Am only advocating for a favorable business environment.

Johndoe100:

This was another enemy of progres. I am glad that they are gone.

High class edddoitt - You are insulting the same paper that revealed that your Oga's boss Yaradua was brain dead.

@moremi2008

Government control, government control, excuses excuses, when last did you buy a newspaper? when last did you place an advert in newspaper? and you expect newspapers to survive.

millions of Nigerians now get their news from television, radio and internet (via their mobiles) less and less Nigerians are buying newspapers. everywhere in the world including Nigeria the print media is reducing, even you, yes you by leaving comments on Nairaland you are contributing to the demise of the print media, when did you; yes you Moremi2008 ever write a letter to a Newspaper?

@Ournaija
business environment in Nigeria is very hard, it has never been easy, don't kid yourself that at anytime it was easier, during Abacha we queued for hours to buy bad fuel, in the 80's we couldn't go out in Benin because Anini reigned supreme, dollar moved from N30 to one dollar to N80 to one dollar overnight, I know how I lost personally with my imports.

but despite the bad business environment Lebanese, Israeli, Indian businesses are are still opening factories and shops in Nigeria (see KFC for example)

I never new next had a print version, I thought its only their online version! With the advent of internet and everything going online, print version of newspapers have a great loss throughout the world. I cannot remember the last time I bought a newspaper.

I had a very close friend who walked out of the company after they refused to pay his wages after two months in the company's employ.
Despite his best intentions Mr Olojede did not run the company efficiently, from what i hear, he was quite extravagant, and was probably biting more than he could chew.

I doubt if any publication in nigeria can be profitable except for the one that peddle celebrity gossip, post a lot of the latest fashion pictures, advertise the 'great' achievements of our great politicians and maybe the sports publications. Just take a look at TELL magazine and you would understand. And am not pointing fingers at the government either, as a people our priorities are just twisted

TRUE TALK.U HAVE SAID IT ALL.

Ournaija:

@faithin9ja

I have respect for all the entrepreneurs in Nigeria who are managing to survive with this kind of environment, and as such you have my respect. It not easy to create job for others here in Nigeria.

I work with coy with a vision to be on my own someday. I called a friend who shared same vision to join me because of the capital involved. We started a biz with no physical structure yet. We pulled all our savings into a project hoping to get our capital back before long. You know how difficult it is for starters to get loan from a bank here. There are too many Nigerian factors that have been frustrating us since we started. The roads are bad, you must oil palms before contracts are awarded, area boys, insecurity, let leave police matter for another day.

On two occasions that we asked our men to deliver power generating sets to two sites that we are constructing were robbed on their way, aside the usual area boys (omo onile) wahala that vary from region to region. Sometimes the lorry conveying goods will just tumble do to bad roads. Today we don't even know if we are at a loss or not because of so many factors that are militating against the business. The risk of running business on this land is too high. Sometimes you wouldn't be able to sleep at night just because you dont know what call you will receive from people working for you and the ones you are working for. I didn`t know all these until i tried it myself. Do you think we wouldn't do better if the business environment is favorable?


We are able to pay some of our bills today because we work in different companies that pay us salaries. What do you think will happen to us if we have no other source of income? Pack up like NEXT? We only manage to stay on the business because of our believe in the vision. Am only advocating for a favorable business environment.






yt

they should keep publishing online!

Its a pity that a very vibrant newspaper publication like Next Newspappers is having problems remaining in business. I could attribute this to three main problems:

1. Lack of good managerial skills on the part of the owners

2. The general poor state of the economy which has caused firms to cut down seriously on the amount of funds they use for advertisement.

3. The poor reading culture of Nigerians, which is caused by partly by poverty and leads to their inability to buy Newspapers.

werepeLeri:

Blame it on GEJ.

LOL

One by one they will varnish.

Sometimes i really wonder if some of you guys reply to posts before you read through them if that is the case then a good number of this generation is in grave danger of 'intellect abuse',very sad

Award winning journalists are good at what they do, and I respect the NEXT newspaper publisher and editors so much, but the newspaper market is a tough market that is actually dying all over the world. 

It's almost impossible to break into it and make money because:
1) Youths, who are more open to change, don't want to buy newspapers.  Ever.
2) Old men and women are creatures of habit.  They will continue buying the newspapers they are used to.

The 234next website was an early success, because NEXT Newspapers were the first to embrace the Internet. 
But the Vanguard Newspapers have really improved their web efforts, beating 234next and even Nairaland.

another one bites the dust

Good riddance
You shd have tried publishing monthly
When you resurrect in the NEXT world better change your name & style
If you dont purge yourself your website may equally freeze. People know the truth
A good lesson on the need to attack only when necessary. You sponsors shd die in shame !!!!!!!!!!!!!

faithin9ja:

@moremi2008

Government control, government control, excuses excuses, when last did you buy a newspaper? when last did you place an advert in newspaper? and you expect newspapers to survive.

millions of Nigerians now get their news from television, radio and internet (via their mobiles) less and less Nigerians are buying newspapers. everywhere in the world including Nigeria the print media is reducing, even you, yes you by leaving comments on Nairaland you are contributing to the demise of the print media, when did you; yes you Moremi2008 ever write a letter to a Newspaper?

I have a newspaper subscription and I wrote a letter to the editor (the NYT) last year but it wasn't published. Does my reply make my previous arguments more valid? I just don't understand why your questions are relevant.

@moremi2008

the relevance of my questions are clear, if there are more people like you the paper will survive (albeit with proprietors running reasonable business model) but to few are like you. how subscribers were there to Next ? No newspaper in Nigeria sells over 100,000 copies a day.

I don't know how many copies Next sold but I know for a fact that newspapers in Nigeria keep the circulation figures hidden, mainly out of embarrassment (they will tell you commercial expedience). Other countries newspapers brag about their readership to attract more advertisers.

Personally I never saw a copy on Next outside Lagos.

You my friend are an exception and a fast dying minority.